Ridler and representatives of the Live Ocean foundation are to meet with political decision-makers from across the House on Wednesday.
A Live Ocean media release said meetings were scheduled with cross-party MPs, including Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones.
Ridler said the focus now was on ensuring the voices of those who signed the petition were heard by those with the power to act.
“We’ve heard from people right along the coast, people who rely on the ocean, who’ve seen the change in their lifetime, and who want to see it protected,” he said.
“We’ve also seen tens of thousands put their voice forward through our online petition. This is about taking those voices to Parliament and asking decision-makers to act.”
Live Ocean co-founder Blair Tuke said the moment was about turning strong public support into practical change.
“We’re asking for a clear step forward, to end bottom trawling on seamounts and begin the transition away from it entirely.”
A seamount is a large submarine landform that rises from the ocean floor without reaching the surface. They are nutrient-rich and one of the most common marine ecosystems in the world.
Tuke said bottom trawling was “an outdated practice that damages ocean ecosystems, and we can do better. As a nation of innovators, this is a change New Zealand is capable of making”.
After the petition is formally presented and read in the House, it will be automatically referred to a select committee to be considered in detail.
