29 July 2009 – Wellington
Forest & Bird media release for immediate use

Forest & Bird backs marine animal protection bill

Independent conservation organisation Forest & Bird hopes a bill to protect marine animals will pass its first reading in Parliament later today.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei’s private member’s bill – the Marine Animals Protection Law Reform Bill – aims to help threatened Hector’s dolphins, New Zealand sea lions, albatrosses and other endangered seabirds recover from dramatic population declines.

Forest & Bird marine conservation advocate Kirstie Knowles says the fishing industry every year catches scores of sea lions, fur seals, dolphins and other marine mammals plus thousands of seabirds in nets and long lines.

“Independent science consultants Dragonfly recently released a report for the Ministry of Fisheries showing that in 2006-7 alone, an estimated 3107 seabirds and 542 marine mammals were killed in our trawl and long-line fisheries,” she says.

“The bill would even up the balance of power between the Ministers of Fisheries and Conservation and give higher priority to restoring populations of threatened marine creatures.

“The community has made it clear that it’s not acceptable to kill marine mammals and seabirds in our fisheries. Our government needs to reflect that.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media