Government negligence has let our oceans decline

The National Government has had eight years to take action on climate change and marine protection but has let New Zealand’s oceans decline to a sorry state, putting our economy and native species at risk, the Green Party said today.

The National Government has had eight years to take action on climate change and marine protection but has let New Zealand’s oceans decline to a sorry state, putting our economy and native species at risk, the Green Party said today.

 

The comments come on the back of a report by Statistics New Zealand, which has found that not only are our greenhouse gas emissions among the highest in the world per capita causing warming and acidifying oceans, but 90 percent of our sea and shore birds are at risk of extinction, and nearly 20 percent of our commercial fish species are overfished.

 

“It’s a bleak picture for our seas. It’s not good enough that this country, with our strong connection to the sea, has let our oceans suffer like this,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.

 

“It’s clear that the Government has put its short-term thinking ahead of the long-term, ignoring the irreversible damage done to our oceans by climate change and commercial interests. National forgets that a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment, so they’re jeopardising our economic wellbeing as well.

 

“The Government is saying that it will fix the problem, but it’s always too little too late. It’s typical of the National Government to make promises that it has no plan to deliver, like Predator Free NZ.

 

“The Government claims that the Quota Management System is protecting fish stocks, of which nearly 20 percent are overfished. However, the report says that it’s not possible to get a full picture of the impacts of fishing. Sea lions, albatrosses and other animals are killed by fishing nets or lines yet the Government has no idea what to do about it.

 

“The Government is planning to implement some marine protected areas but only out to 12 nautical miles. We want marine protection, in whatever form that might take, to include the entire Exclusive Economic Zone.

 

“The Green Party has a plan to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, protect the marine environment and ensure that future generations can be proud of and enjoy the sea the way we have been able to,” said Mr Shaw. 

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Greens welcome waste strategy release and work

The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return...
Read More

Story

NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation

New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Nature missing in RMA reform

The Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart. 
Read More

Story

Report shows reducing actual farming emissions vital

Evidence shows that relying on offsets to reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate will not work, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Budget 2022: Greens call for urgency with nature-first climate investments

Budget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government ...
Read More

Story

Nature needs us to act right now

The Green Party welcomes the release of the implementation plan for Te Mana o te Taiao Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and calls on the ...
Read More

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

Come on National, is that the best you can do?

A visionless National Party has stolen Government policy and rebranded it as their own.
Read More

Story

IPCC report shows 2023 is a ‘now or never’ climate election

“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it dem...
Read More

Story

Greens back School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy

The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a clima...
Read More

Story

Green Party backs School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Big emitters will have to do more to cut emissions

The biggest polluters will have to do more to help meet climate targets because of changes the Government is making to decade-old settings that hav...
Read More