# 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.
- Title: Opportunity Party's ocean bottom line sparks coalition tension
- Summary: Opportunity Party's pledge to ban bottom trawling in sensitive areas risks coalition talks with major parties.
- Keywords: opportunity party, bottom trawling, coalition, hauraki gulf, new zealand, political negotiation, climate action, commerce commission, lobbying reform, election 2026, national party, NZ Herald
- Source: NZ Herald — https://nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/bottom-trawling-why-the-opportunity-partys-healthy-oceans-bottom-line-could-prove-a-negotiation-sticking-point/premium/MLIT67LIIRHQVB5IOCBVODHZJY
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: opportunity party, bottom trawling, coalition, hauraki gulf, new zealand, political negotiation, climate action, commerce commission, lobbying reform, election 2026, national party, politics
## 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 The party describes bottom trawling as a destructive and outdated fishing practice which prioritises "short-term extraction over long-term abundance"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
## Key takeaway

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.