Green Party launches bill to protect marine mammals

The Green Party has today lodged a members bill that will ensure greater protection of marine mammals.

“Marine mammals such as Maui dolphin, Hector’s dolphin and New Zealand sea lion or rāpoka in our oceans are taonga species. Many of our marine mammals are found nowhere else in the world. These precious mammals are vulnerable to bycatch and death from commercial fishing. The time is now to change our laws and ensure that these creatures are better protected,” says Green Party oceans and fisheries spokesperson Eugenie Sage.

“The members’ bill I have lodged today would amend the Marine Mammals Protection Act and the Fisheries Act to require the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries to take stronger action to protect threatened species such as Hector's dolphin, Māui dolphin and NZ sea lions.

“The bill requires a population management plan to be prepared within 18 months of the bill passing. Ministers will also be required to close a fishery if the number of protected marine mammals are killed by commercial fishing exceeds population limits. .

“It is estimated that only 53 Maui dolphins remain. A Hector's dolphin was killed just last month by bottom trawling off the Canterbury coast. The time is now to protect these beautiful, precious mammals.

“The changes in my members’ bill are desperately needed. Aotearoa is lagging behind the rest of the world in marine protection. The Government could adopt this bill so it can bypass the ballot, and our marine mammals can finally get the protection they deserve.

“Only with more Green MPs will we be able to take the necessary action to protect the health of our ocean, and all the creatures that live in it,” says Eugenie Sage.

A copy of the Marine Mammals (Enhanced Protection) Legislation Bill is available here.

Action

Tell us your stories about our special places

Share with us your stories about the places threatened by being fast tracked for mining permits.

Action

RENAME, REWRITE, and REJECT the Regulatory Standards Bill

Submit your suggested changes to the Regulatory Standards Bill! Tell us how you'd change the bill and we could take it to the House!

Action

Anniversary of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill Referendum

If we were to legally regulate cannabis in Aotearoa, what kind of rules would you want to see around access, possession, use, regulations on sale, ...

Action

Save our Polytechs: Campaign Packs

Want to see more supports for our Polytechs? Use these resources to support the campaign!

Action

Save Our Polytechs Petition

Sign our petition today and join us in calling on the Minister for Vocational Education, Hon Penny Simmonds, to Save our Polytechs!

Action

Protect our tamariki - Sign the open letter

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up with safety and stability, wrapped in aroha. Sign our open letter today and help make that a reality!

Action

Stop Growing Homelessness

Sign our petition asking Luxon and Bishop to take action to stop homelessness increasing in Aotearoa.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Oceans & Fisheries Announcements

Story

Shane Jones’ gift to big fishing a blow to sustainability

The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s fishing industry plans to allow greater catch limits and stop on-board camera footage from being ma...

Shane Jones has no shame

Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies wit...

Fisheries consultation must put sustainability before profit

The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to prioritise long-term prosperity of our oceans in its consultation on the Fisheries Act.

Greens call for bottom trawling ban and call out Minister for lacklustre response

The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in i...

Marine Protection Bill encouraging, but more work required

The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill is an encouraging example of what cross-party co-operation can achieve.

The Time is Now for Oceans Protection

Community organisations, mana whenua and the Greens have written to the incoming Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to call for the progression witho...