From NZ Herald · · 3m
Opportunity Party's ocean bottom line sparks coalition tension
Opportunity Party's pledge to ban bottom trawling in sensitive areas risks coalition talks with major parties.
In brief
Opportunity Party's pledge to ban bottom trawling in sensitive areas risks coalition talks with major parties. Opportunity Party's immediate ban on bottom trawling in New Zealand's most damaged inshore areas could become a key negotiation sticking point with coalition partners. Originally reported by NZ Herald.
Opportunity Party's coalition bottom lines
Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong announced the party's five key conditions for entering a coalition with major parties.
“The party outlined conditions for entering a coalition”
Five coalition bottom lines
The party's bottom lines include empowering the Commerce Commission, a 10-year bipartisan health plan, reforming lobbying and electoral donation rules, ending bottom trawling, and pursuing climate action.
Bottom trawling ban pledge
Opportunity Party pledges immediate end to bottom trawling in New Zealand's most damaged inshore areas like the Hauraki Gulf and sea mounts.
“The party describes bottom trawling as a destructive and outdated fishing practice which prioritises "short-term extraction over long-term abundance"”
Industry opposition
Seafood New Zealand warns a ban would cause job losses, higher fish prices, and loss of export revenue during a cost of living crisis.
“We would see job losses throughout the country, the price of fish would go up for Kiwis at a time when we're already facing a cost of living crisis”
Māori concerns
Moana New Zealand warns bottom trawling bans could disregard Māori rights and interests under the 1992 Māori Fisheries Settlement.
“Proposals to ban or phase out bottom trawling would have "significant and disproportionate consequences for Māori"”
Political reactions
Labour leader Chris Hipkins raised economic concerns about the ban while National Party leader Christopher Luxon warned of price increases.
“There's a very real economic cost to that”
New Zealand First opposition
New Zealand First has been the most explicit supporter of the fishing industry and trawling, directly opposing Opportunity's bottom line.
“Shane Jones defended trawlers in Parliament last year, saying the way it is undertaken in New Zealand is "relatively harmless" to our oceans”
Industry data
The Ministry for Primary Industries states 68% of New Zealand's fish supply by volume is caught through bottom trawling within 1 metre of the seabed.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries describes it as a widely used method in New Zealand, with approximately 68% of fish supply by volume in New Zealand caught by trawling on or within 1 metre of the seabed”
Environmental impact
Greenpeace claims bottom trawling destroys ancient coral and kills marine life, with Hector's dolphins at risk from trawling nets.
“Greenpeace has long advocated to end the practice, accusing trawlers of "bulldozing ancient coral and killing everything in their path"”
Wong's stance
Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong says all bottom lines are realistic but bottom trawling may be the most challenging for coalition partners.
“Bottom trawling for example, New Zealand First obviously will find that challenging”
Misinformation claim
Seafood New Zealand claims Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong misstated New Zealand's bottom trawling usage during election night interviews.
“That’s absolute nonsense”
Economic impact
Seafood New Zealand states 14,500 full-time equivalent jobs are supported by the fisheries sector, with 70% of supply coming from trawling.
“The sector supporting 14,500 fulltime equivalent employees across the economy, and nearly 70% of supply coming from trawling”
Policy alternatives
The Act Party wants Fisheries New Zealand to assess economic impacts of trawling to see if current conservation levies reflect environmental costs.
“It wants Fisheries New Zealand to undertake economic assessments of major commercial harvesting methods”
Hauraki Gulf policy
National Party has a policy to ban commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf's high protection areas but stopped short of a blanket ban.
“The National Party released a policy during the campaign to ban commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf’s high protection areas”
Māori rights
Moana New Zealand warns bottom trawling bans could affect Māori settlement quotas, economic returns, and customary seafood supply.
“They would affect settlement quota ownership, iwi economic returns, employment, the customary supply of kaimoana to hapū and marae”
Next steps
Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong says the party will not budge on its five key bottom lines despite potential coalition challenges.
“We’re very pragmatic about that”
The essence
Opportunity Party's immediate ban on bottom trawling in New Zealand's most damaged inshore areas could become a key negotiation sticking point with coalition partners.
