KEY POINTS:
The European Union, Russia and South Korea have blocked measures to protect fragile ocean ecosystems at an international conference in Hobart, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton says.
Representatives from more than 25 governments met to discuss ways to safeguard marine resources in the Southern Pacific and to establish a regional fisheries management organisation.
Mr Anderton said the meeting brought fisheries management "a step closer" but proposed interim environmental measures were blocked by Northern Hemisphere nations.
"New Zealand is very pleased with the progress that's been made towards establishing a regional fisheries management organisation for non-highly migratory fish stocks in the South Pacific," he said.
"But we're deeply disappointed that protection measures for fragile ecosystems outside our EEZ [exclusive economic zone] have been blocked by the EU, South Korea and Russia."
Mr Anderton said the talks in Hobart were a continuation of discussions that began in Wellington in February. One of the aims at the meeting was to set up interim measures to manage the effects of bottom trawling.
"New Zealand worked hard to broker a range of strong measures that would protect fragile deep-water ecosystems from bottom trawling.
"I'm particularly disappointed that the European Community refused to limit their fishing effort in the region. This went against the precautionary, ecosystem-based approach that South Pacific and South American states were asking for."
Mr Anderton said the Northern Hemisphere countries had a poor record of managing their own fisheries, and seemed set on continuing this in South Pacific waters.
He said New Zealand would continue working with other responsible fishing nations such as Australia and the Pacific Island nations to develop comprehensive proposals to regulate bottom trawling. These would be put to the next meeting in Chile next year.
- NZPA
