Fisheries New Zealand is asking for your views on how to fix the management of NZ’s commercial fishing industry. From dumping fish to killing dolphins, there’s a lot to improve.
There is no way anyone would be allowed to accidentally kill kiwi just to make a buck, so why do we let commercial fishers kill our endangered ocean animals?
Every year, hundreds of dolphins and seals, and thousands of ocean-going birds die in commercial fishing nets and on lines – some of them are on the verge of going extinct. This death-toll is entirely legal.
What’s even worse is these are just the animals we know about. Most fishing boats don’t have official observers on board, and some fishing industry players are lobbying hard to keep cameras off their boats as well.
At current rates some of our ocean animals will die out altogether if nothing changes. But New Zealanders are not willing to pay this terrible price for the sake of a few greedy fishing companies.
Our fishing system is broken. But we can fix it. Many fishers want to do the right thing, we just need the Government to stand up to the rotten apples in the industry, and get serious about protecting our ocean wildlife.
Find out more about the consultation here, or complete the submission form, below.