NZ to close 30pc of waters to trawling

A draft agreement has been reached with deepwater fishing companies to close more than 30 per cent of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to bottom trawling, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said today.

The proposal is to close about 1.2 million square kilometres to bottom trawling and dredging, extending from sub-Antarctic waters to the sub-tropical Kermadec region.

"They lie across a range of depths, and cover a range of habitats that broadly represent New Zealand's offshore waters," Mr Anderton said in a statement.

"These areas have had little or no bottom trawling or dredging in the past, so we expect their ecosystems and habitats are relatively intact."

Mr Anderton said there would be public consultation on the proposal and he hoped to have regulations ready by October this year.

He described it as "an unprecedented win-win for conservationists and fishermen" and congratulated the industry.

"It is a bold move, and indicates their foresight and willingness to work with the Government in looking after New Zealand's marine ecosystems and habitats."

Mr Anderton said that when the area was added to deepwater locations already closed, 42 per cent of seamounts in New Zealand waters would be protected -- the largest single marine protection measure ever proposed within a nation's EEZ.

Earlier today Mr Anderton said New Zealand would support a global moratorium on bottom trawling, but only if it had sufficient international backing to make it a practical option.

He said it would need the unanimous support of the United Nations General Assembly -- and that was a long way off.

Mr Anderton intends telling an international meeting in Wellington this week that urgent interim measures are needed to protect marine environments.

The meeting, which opened today with delegates from 20 countries attending, has been called to establish a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO).

Mr Anderton said an RFMO was essential because it could negotiate a moratorium with other nations.

- NZPA