SYDNEY, Friday 28 FEB 2025 – Despite the New Zealand government refusing to release the location where a New Zealand bottom trawler hauled up deep sea coral in the Tasman Sea late last year, Australia has released the coordinates on request from Greenpeace, a move the group applauded as “promising ocean protection leadership”.
The Tasman Viking, a New Zealand bottom trawler, pulled up 37kg of deep sea coral in the Lord Howe Rise area, renowned for diverse marine life in October 2024. This triggered a rule under the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), to temporarily close the area.
Under SPRFMO, the best available information is meant to be provided on the nature of an encounter with coral such as this, and Greenpeace has offered to document the site as part of their Seamounts Expedition, due to commence in March 2025.
But requests from Greenpeace for the coordinates of the closed area were declined by the New Zealand Government due to ‘commercial sensitivity’. The Australian SPRFMO Commissioner has now released these coordinates in response to requests from Greenpeace.
Georgia Whitaker, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner, said:
“It’s promising to see the Australian Government prioritising ocean protection and scientific research over commercial interests. By releasing the coordinates of bottom-trawling vandalism, the Australian government has proven it can and will stand up for the ocean.
“What we need to see now is the Australian Government take a step further to protect these waters by finally ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty into Australian law, and proposing that rich biodiverse areas like the Tasman Sea can become ocean sanctuaries free from destructive industrial fishing.”
Earlier this week, both major Australian political parties indicated their intent to take ocean protection seriously this election. Labor has acknowledged that only 24% of Australia’s waters are highly protected from industrial fishing and oil and gas – Greenpeace is calling for that number to be increased, not just in domestic waters but in adjoining international waters.
“True ocean protection leadership on the global stage is about hoisting the sails and facing the wind — we need strong policies that protect the ocean and the high seas between Australia and New Zealand, with no loopholes for industry,” Whitaker added.
Greenpeace Aotearoa expedition lead Ellie Hooper is calling the New Zealand government’s refusal to share the coordinates “ludicrous” and “a blatant example of the Luxon-led government running interference for the fishing industry.”
Hooper says: “These coordinates have already been shared with all fishing companies and SPRFMO countries, so why is the information being hidden in order to prevent research and documentation?
“Australia clearly has a more progressive and transparent approach when it comes to deep-sea management, and has provided us with the chance to go to this area and attempt to survey it.”
It’s estimated that coral brought to the surface by trawlers is only a small fraction of what’s destroyed on the seafloor.1
New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the high seas of the South Pacific and has faced criticism for blocking protection measures at SPRFMO this month.
Notes:
Coral in nets to destroyed on seafloor ratios:
1. Geange, S. et al 2017, SC7-DW14, and Stephenson, F. et al 2022, SC10-DW04
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