Representatives of New Zealand’s deepwater seafood industry appeared before the Environment Select Committee today to correct misinformation previously provided to government about trawling on seamounts.

Deepwater Group CEO George Clement told members it was important that both the Select Committee and the New Zealand public had the correct scientific information on which to base any decisions on whether or not any additional management measures might be required.

Earlier this year, the Environment Select Committee heard from the Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition, following that group’s submission of a petition in November last year calling for a ban on bottom trawl fishing on seamounts and similar deep-sea features.

“While we acknowledge the work of the various conservation groups behind this petition, we are concerned with the level of misinformation that has been provided to government in support of it,” Clement said.

“Many of the conclusions, along with much of the reference material, are only relevant in an international context and are not directly applicable within New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” Clement said.

“We are grateful to the Select Committee for providing us with the opportunity to submit on this matter and to provide the Committee with the best available facts on the management of bottom trawling on seamounts.”

As one example, Clement said the petition stated there were more than 800 known seamounts in New Zealand’s EEZ.

“NIWA and Fisheries New Zealand advise that there are 142 seamounts, 127 of which are either closed to bottom trawling or have never been fished.

“New Zealand’s EEZ is well managed – 91 per cent of New Zealand’s EEZ seabed is untouched, having never been contacted by bottom trawling. Bottom trawling is excluded by law from large, closed areas which together cover 31 percent of the EEZ. DOC has advised that 1.2 million square kilometres of our seafloor is protected – that’s almost four and half times the New Zealand EEZ. Each year bottom trawling within New Zealand’s EEZ only occurs in very limited areas. Annually, we produce 700,000,000 servings of seafood from fishing on only 1.1 percent of the EEZ. As with all other forms of food production, harvesting seafood does have some impacts on the environment. New Zealand’s marine conservation measures ensure that, at all times, any such impacts are well within acceptable limits."

Clement, who himself has a long history in ocean sustainability, says management of New Zealand’s EEZ and the deepwater seafood industry is internationally recognised as being second to none.

“The seafood industry is the most highly regulated food industry in New Zealand. Kiwis can be genuinely proud of how we manage our fisheries and the oceanic environment that supports these naturally renewable resources.

“Nineteen of our most important fisheries are certified sustainable against the science-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) requirements – these comprehensive standards are the most robust and science-based standards in the world for ecosystem-based fisheries management. MSC certification of our main deepwater fisheries put us in the top 5 per cent of the best-managed fisheries in the world.”

About Deepwater Group

Deepwater Group is a non-profit organisation working in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, international fisheries scientists and other interest groups to ensure that New Zealand’s deepwater fisheries are managed sustainably. Fisheries managed by DWG are those targeted commercially and usually fished at depths between 200 and 1,600 metres. These include hake, hoki, jack mackerel, ling, orange roughy, oreo, scampi, southern blue whiting and squid.

The New Zealand deepwater fisheries sector involves more than 50 seafood companies, which between them operate about 100 commercial vessels and collectively employ about 6,000 people.

Related reading:

• Towards a deeper Understanding – Deepwater Group Report 2021
• Deepwater Group Submission to the Environment Select Committee
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
• For more on fisheries sustainability and certification, see our website.

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