7 December 2006

Greens have the answer to sustainable fisheries

Plans to change the fisheries legislation to ensure it favours sustainability are exactly what the Greens have been advocating for and they even have a Private Member's Bill which the Government can adapt.

"I am happy to send Jim Anderton a copy of my sustainable fisheries bill to save him and his officials the time it will take to write the new legislation," Green Party Fisheries Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

"It is about time that the Government put sustainability issues ahead of the interests of the fisheries industry.

"I congratulate Mr Anderton for his courage.

"For too long now we have been taking more than we should from our seas and doing incredible damage to in the process.

"This is particularly evident in the orange roughy fishery, where not only have stocks been rapidly depleted, but fragile ecosystems around seamounts have been clear-felled by bottom trawlers in the process.

"I am really pleased to see that the fate of seabirds like albatrosses and marine mammals such as sea lions, seals and dolphins will be put to the fore, Mrs Turei says."

ENDS

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