MP takes tough line to save birds, dolphins

New measures that could stop threatened albatross, petrel and dolphins being snared by fishermen could be before Parliament next week.

Green MP Metiria Turei has drafted a private member's bill that would increase protection for marine animals by requiring a more cautious approach to setting fishing quotas and rules.

She said the bill could mean tougher requirements for fishing boats to stay away from areas that harbour rare Hector's and Maui's dolphins.

It could also result in more demands on the fishing industry to make fishing lines less attractive to seabirds.

Fishing bycatch was one of the major threats to seabirds identified in a Department of Conservation report on endangered birds this month. A 2004 DoC report found 13 albatross and seven petrel species were threatened by fishing, especially commercial longline fishing and trawl nets.

Fishing is the greatest known threat to rare Hector's and Maui's dolphins.

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen, said the fishing industry was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year finding new ways to avoid catching birds, seals and dolphins.

A new sinker system to get longlines below the surface quickly, before bait caught the eyes of birds, was showing promise. Bird scaring devices on trawlers were also working well. "It is not fair to say we're ignoring the issue."

Mr Dawson said developing new methods was difficult as there were many different fisheries and measures had to be designed without compromising fishermen's safety.

Mrs Turei said she hoped the bill would increase use of technology such as streamer lines - decoy ropes dangling brightly coloured plastic streamers that distract birds from becoming caught in fishing lines.

Albatross are vulnerable to longlines because they dive beneath the surface for baits and hooks while the lines are being set. As the fishing lines are reeled out behind the vessel, the birds are dragged to the depths where they drown.

Ms Turei said albatross took a long time to breed and produced very few chicks.

DoC marine conservation manager Simon Banks said the department supported any measures that reduced by-catch of sea birds, and had been working with the fishing industry to develop techniques. About 372 white-capped albatross were killed by fishing in 2004-2007.

Part of the DoC programme was getting observers on a broader range of fishing boats.

Last May, the Government announced measures to protect Hector's and Maui's dolphins, including marine mammal sanctuaries and bans on set netting in the coastal waters where the dolphins are most often found.

Commercial fishing companies have legally challenged those measures, and an injunction is in place so set net fishing can continue in some areas where the dolphins are found, until the case is heard. The High Court would rule on the new dolphin protections in June.

The coastline and islands of New Zealand are important breeding grounds for more than 20 species of seabird that breed nowhere else.

The Marine Mammals Protection Act Amendment Bill will go into the next Parliamentary ballot for a chance to be debated by MPs.