Greenpeace activists targeted a Talley’s-owned fishing trawler at Port Nelson on Saturday morning, calling for an end to bottom trawling on seamounts.
Two activists anchored a raft alongside the trawler Amaltal Atlantis. In a statement, Greenpeace said activists in kayaks also attached a large banner to the hull of the vessel.
Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper said taking action was necessary to protect the ocean’s biodiversity.
“We can have a healthy and thriving ocean again, but we have to stop the worst types of fishing.”
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Fishing is a key industry at Port Nelson.
Hooper described seamounts as the “building blocks of ocean life, forming essential breeding grounds for fish and a home for unique species”.
“Fragile and slow growing coral live there, often called ‘the kauri of the deep’.”
When large weighted nets were dragged over seamounts “they don’t just catch fish, they bulldoze through everything in their path and net huge amounts of other species”, Hooper said.
However, in an online explainer Seafood New Zealand says the industry trawls only a very small area of the ocean floor each year – less than 3% – so the impact was limited.
“Like food production on land, there is some environmental impact, but this is carefully balanced with the very large areas of the ocean protected in conservation areas.”
Martin De Ruyter/Stuff
Greenpeace activists make their message clear at Port Nelson.
Aboard the raft, Jessica Desmond said the activists were there “to disrupt Talley’s activities”.
“Today, we’re calling on [Oceans and Fisheries Minister] David Parker to ban bottom trawling on these biodiversity hotspots,” Desmond said. “To protect the health of the ocean, bottom trawling on seamounts must stop.”
Greenpeace activists targeted another Talley’s-owned vessel in July 2021 in an early morning protest against bottom trawling.
Talley’s has been approached for comment.
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