Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 6 • Number 20 • 17th November 2006

Northern Nations Block South Pacific Fish Conservation

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Northern hemisphere fishing nations have blocked efforts to regulate deep sea fishing and bottom trawling in the South Pacific.

At a recent meeting intended to establish a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation in Hobart, Australia, the EU, Russia and South Korea halted a plan on bottom trawling protection, a proposal supported by Australia, New Zealand, Chile, the Pacific Island States and the US. The meeting aimed at developing a regional fisheries agreement to manage non-highly migratory fish stocks within set boundaries from the Indian Ocean to South America and from the Antarctic to an undecided northern boundary. The meeting also planned to set up interim measures to manage the effects of bottom trawling.

“I’m particularly disappointed that the European community refused to limit their current fishing effort in the region. This went against the precautionary, ecosystem-based approach that South Pacific and South American states were asking for,” Jim Anderton, New Zealand Minister of Agriculture and Fishers said.

Out of concern for the sustainability of its own deep ocean mackerel stocks, the Chilean government said it is limiting its own national fishing effort. Mackerel stocks are of great economic significance to the coastal communities of Latin America.

The European Community wants the freedom to expand catch levels.

“These Northern Hemisphere countries have a poor track record of managing their own fisheries, and seem set on continuing this in South Pacific waters,” said Anderton. “It is clear that some governments seem bent on delaying any decision to cap levels of fishing so that they have the opportunity to rapidly expand their fishery exploitation, to the point that by the time we get any precautionary management measures in place, commercial fish stocks will have collapsed,” added Alistair Graham from WWF International.

A third negotiating session on the proposed South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation will be held in Chile early next year.

“New Zealand condemns Europe over Pacific fishing,” GERMAN PRESS AGENCY, 13 November 2006; “Northern Nations Block South Pacific Fish Conservation,” ENS, 13 November 2006; “Europe refuses to negotiate South Pacific fishing cap,” ABC, 11 November 2006.