Latest news with #OceansandFisheries
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Aquaculture Animal Welfare Code ‘Anti-Kiwi', Oceans And Fisheries Minister Shane Jones Says
Shane Jones has ruled out the idea of a code to protect farmed fish, following SPCA calls for one., Journalist SPCA calls for an animal welfare code for aquaculture to protect farmed fish It says code would help the sector access international markets where factory farming is increasingly under scrutiny Oceans and Fisheries Minister says this would be a 'luxury' in the current economic environment Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is ruling out an animal welfare code for aquaculture, saying it is 'anti-Kiwi' and an 'indulgence'. The SPCA has called for a code to protect farmed fish, following a government plan to grow the industry's revenue to $3 billion annually by 2035. Scientific officer Marie McAninch said a code would also help give the aquaculture sector access to the sorts of international markets that land-based farmers benefit from, thanks to their animal welfare codes. 'New Zealanders care about how farmed animals are treated – and so do people overseas who buy our products. They'll expect that farmed fish in aquaculture are treated well and that their welfare meets our animal welfare laws. 'A code of welfare for aquaculture would help make that happen. But right now, New Zealand's Aquaculture Strategy – and the Aquaculture Development Strategy that Shane Jones announced in March – are both completely silent on the welfare of the animals being farmed.' Jones said he would not be considering an animal welfare code. 'Most certainly not. I think these impositions are anti-Kiwi. We are in the midst of a set of economic challenges where we must expand and grow the footprint of aquaculture. It's all going to end up [as food for] human consumption or pet consumption.' Jones said existing fish farmers already did 'a very good job' of looking after their stock. 'All of these animal husbandry businesses, there's always scope for improvement. But regulatory codes … only represent red tape and at a deeper level where does all this end? We're a small economy and a lot of these impositions are, in my view, indulgences. They're vanity projects and these debates need a clear set of contrasting views.' But McAninch said New Zealanders cared about how farmed animals were treated – and so did people overseas who bought products from New Zealand fish farms. Fish were legally recognised as sentient beings, which meant they were capable of feeling pain, stress and positive emotional states, she said. The SPCA was not against aquaculture, McAninch said. 'But we do believe it's crucial to make sure all farmed animals – and any wild animals affected by these systems – are properly protected. Our land-based farming sectors take pride in their animal welfare codes, and it's helped them with access to international markets. If the aquaculture sector doesn't plan for this now, they risk falling behind in a global environment where factory farming is increasingly under scrutiny.' Jones said he was 'the first to admit some of my views might be a bit difficult to stomach'. But animal advocates were 'on a trajectory of mission creep, and I kind of feel it's anti-Kiwi,' he said. 'I can understand that little kittens and dogs that bite children and other welfare considerations [are] an established part of rural life and our ethos, but suggesting that people growing salmon, new fish species and indeed shellfish … we already have a system through the Resource Management Act that deals with the effects of such activity.' Jones described a recent outcry by animal lovers about farming octopuses, which are sentient beings, as 'the height of this folly'. 'We need to grow industry, we don't want to impose these urban based vanity beliefs of basic industrial growth prospects.' Octopus farming was banned in the United States in Washington and California due to animal welfare concerns, and consideration of a ban is also underway in three more states. But Jones said New Zealand could not afford such 'luxury indulgences'. 'It's not something that I'm going to encourage, it's certainly not something I'm going to push forward, or agree with, at a time we have large competing objectives and other goals that I think society should set its mind upon.' The SPCA would welcome talks with the minister about how a welfare code could help ensure the aquaculture sector was sustainable and resilient, McAninch said. There is currently no code of welfare for farmed fish species, although the New Zealand Salmon Farmers Association has developed a voluntary welfare standard for farmed salmon in New Zealand. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 (the AWA) and the Code of Welfare for Commercial Slaughter applies to farmed fish and for any fish that are intended to be held or transported live. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) has identified development of a code of welfare for farmed fish for consideration as a future priority. The Minister in charge of Animal Welfare, Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard said NAWAC set its own work programme and schedule for code reviews, but he had asked it to prioritise production livestock codes, and the rodeo code. 'Several of these codes have been under review for some time and the industries concerned need certainty. I expect NAWAC to deliver on those codes before turning their attention to other animal species.'
Scoop
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Aquaculture Animal Welfare Code 'Anti-Kiwi', Oceans And Fisheries Minister Shane Jones Says
SPCA calls for an animal welfare code for aquaculture to protect farmed fish It says code would help the sector access international markets where factory farming is increasingly under scrutiny Oceans and Fisheries Minister says this would be a "luxury" in the current economic environment Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is ruling out an animal welfare code for aquaculture, saying it is "anti-Kiwi" and an "indulgence". The SPCA has called for a code to protect farmed fish, following a government plan to grow the industry's revenue to $3 billion annually by 2035. Scientific officer Marie McAninch said a code would also help give the aquaculture sector access to the sorts of international markets that land-based farmers benefit from, thanks to their animal welfare codes. "New Zealanders care about how farmed animals are treated - and so do people overseas who buy our products. They'll expect that farmed fish in aquaculture are treated well and that their welfare meets our animal welfare laws. "A code of welfare for aquaculture would help make that happen. But right now, New Zealand's Aquaculture Strategy - and the Aquaculture Development Strategy that Shane Jones announced in March - are both completely silent on the welfare of the animals being farmed." Jones said he would not be considering an animal welfare code. "Most certainly not. I think these impositions are anti-Kiwi. We are in the midst of a set of economic challenges where we must expand and grow the footprint of aquaculture. It's all going to end up [as food for] human consumption or pet consumption." Jones said existing fish farmers already did "a very good job" of looking after their stock. "All of these animal husbandry businesses, there's always scope for improvement. But regulatory codes ... only represent red tape and at a deeper level where does all this end? We're a small economy and a lot of these impositions are, in my view, indulgences. They're vanity projects and these debates need a clear set of contrasting views." But McAninch said New Zealanders cared about how farmed animals were treated - and so did people overseas who bought products from New Zealand fish farms. Fish were legally recognised as sentient beings, which meant they were capable of feeling pain, stress and positive emotional states, she said. The SPCA was not against aquaculture, McAninch said. "But we do believe it's crucial to make sure all farmed animals - and any wild animals affected by these systems - are properly protected. Our land-based farming sectors take pride in their animal welfare codes, and it's helped them with access to international markets. If the aquaculture sector doesn't plan for this now, they risk falling behind in a global environment where factory farming is increasingly under scrutiny." Jones said he was "the first to admit some of my views might be a bit difficult to stomach". But animal advocates were "on a trajectory of mission creep, and I kind of feel it's anti-Kiwi," he said. "I can understand that little kittens and dogs that bite children and other welfare considerations [are] an established part of rural life and our ethos, but suggesting that people growing salmon, new fish species and indeed shellfish ... we already have a system through the Resource Management Act that deals with the effects of such activity." Jones described a recent outcry by animal lovers about farming octopuses, which are sentient beings, as "the height of this folly". "We need to grow industry, we don't want to impose these urban based vanity beliefs of basic industrial growth prospects." Octopus farming was banned in the United States in Washington and California due to animal welfare concerns, and consideration of a ban is also underway in three more states. But Jones said New Zealand could not afford such "luxury indulgences". "It's not something that I'm going to encourage, it's certainly not something I'm going to push forward, or agree with, at a time we have large competing objectives and other goals that I think society should set its mind upon." The SPCA would welcome talks with the minister about how a welfare code could help ensure the aquaculture sector was sustainable and resilient, McAninch said. There is currently no code of welfare for farmed fish species, although the New Zealand Salmon Farmers Association has developed a voluntary welfare standard for farmed salmon in New Zealand. The Animal Welfare Act 1999 (the AWA) and the Code of Welfare for Commercial Slaughter applies to farmed fish and for any fish that are intended to be held or transported live. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) has identified development of a code of welfare for farmed fish for consideration as a future priority. The Minister in charge of Animal Welfare, Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard said NAWAC set its own work programme and schedule for code reviews, but he had asked it to prioritise production livestock codes, and the rodeo code. "Several of these codes have been under review for some time and the industries concerned need certainty. I expect NAWAC to deliver on those codes before turning their attention to other animal species."
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Revitalising The Gulf At Risk With Continuation Of Bottom Trawling
Press Release – Hauraki Gulf Forum The Hauraki Gulf Forum has continually expressed concern about trawling in the Gulf, and advocates for the removal of fishing methods that damage the seafloor, says interim Executive Officer of the Forum, Katina Conomos. Progress on revitalising the Hauraki Gulf is at risk with the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries confirming the Government will not implement trawl corridors. The Hauraki Gulf Forum has expressed concern at the Minister's comments, made at the Environmental Defence Society's Oceans Symposium in Auckland yesterday, and are calling for urgent action to prevent a further decline in the health of the Marine Park. 'The Hauraki Gulf Forum has continually expressed concern about trawling in the Gulf, and advocates for the removal of fishing methods that damage the seafloor,' says interim Executive Officer of the Forum, Katina Conomos. 'Bottom contact fishing destroys benthic habitats and the marine environments they support. We can and should do better than continue to allow these types of destructive fishing practices, it is not sustainable.' Restricting bottom trawling is a significant plank in the Government's response to SeaChange, alongside the creation of Marine Protected Areas through the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill and local marine management by Mana Whenua and local communities through Ahu Moana. 'Our communities want to see the Gulf thrive for generations to come, with abundant fish populations supported by a thriving marine ecosystem. To achieve this, we need urgent action to reverse the ongoing decline in the health of the Gulf.' says Cr Warren Maher, Co-Chair of the Forum. 'Abandoning action on trawl corridors, which has been awaiting a decision since 2023, will severely degrade any progress towards a revitalised Gulf.' Notes: The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is New Zealand's first marine park, established by the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act in February 2000. At 1.2 million hectares (20 times the size of Lake Taupō) it stretches from Te Arai in the north to Waihi in the south and includes the Waitematā Harbour, Gulf Islands, Firth of Thames and the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The Park is the seabird capital of the world, and a whale superhighway, but as successive State of the Gulf reports have shown, it is a shadow of its former self. The Hauraki Gulf Forum The Hauraki Gulf Forum is a statutory governance board established under the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 to promote the conservation and management of the natural, historic, and physical resources of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and communities of the Gulf and New Zealand. The Forum consists of representatives from tangata whenua of the Hauraki Gulf and its islands; the Ministers of Conservation, Oceans and Fisheries and Māori Development; and elected members appointed by the Auckland Council, Hauraki District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Waikato District Council and Waikato Regional Council. The Forum is required to present triennial reports regarding the state of the environment of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. More information on the Forum and the Marine Park is available at
Scoop
13-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Revitalising The Gulf At Risk With Continuation Of Bottom Trawling
Press Release – Hauraki Gulf Forum Progress on revitalising the Hauraki Gulf is at risk with the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries confirming the Government will not implement trawl corridors. The Hauraki Gulf Forum has expressed concern at the Minister's comments, made at the Environmental Defence Society's Oceans Symposium in Auckland yesterday, and are calling for urgent action to prevent a further decline in the health of the Marine Park. 'The Hauraki Gulf Forum has continually expressed concern about trawling in the Gulf, and advocates for the removal of fishing methods that damage the seafloor,' says interim Executive Officer of the Forum, Katina Conomos. 'Bottom contact fishing destroys benthic habitats and the marine environments they support. We can and should do better than continue to allow these types of destructive fishing practices, it is not sustainable.' Restricting bottom trawling is a significant plank in the Government's response to SeaChange, alongside the creation of Marine Protected Areas through the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill and local marine management by Mana Whenua and local communities through Ahu Moana. 'Our communities want to see the Gulf thrive for generations to come, with abundant fish populations supported by a thriving marine ecosystem. To achieve this, we need urgent action to reverse the ongoing decline in the health of the Gulf.' says Cr Warren Maher, Co-Chair of the Forum. 'Abandoning action on trawl corridors, which has been awaiting a decision since 2023, will severely degrade any progress towards a revitalised Gulf.' Notes: The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is New Zealand's first marine park, established by the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act in February 2000. At 1.2 million hectares (20 times the size of Lake Taupō) it stretches from Te Arai in the north to Waihi in the south and includes the Waitematā Harbour, Gulf Islands, Firth of Thames and the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The Park is the seabird capital of the world, and a whale superhighway, but as successive State of the Gulf reports have shown, it is a shadow of its former self. The Hauraki Gulf Forum The Hauraki Gulf Forum is a statutory governance board established under the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 to promote the conservation and management of the natural, historic, and physical resources of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and communities of the Gulf and New Zealand. The Forum consists of representatives from tangata whenua of the Hauraki Gulf and its islands; the Ministers of Conservation, Oceans and Fisheries and Māori Development; and elected members appointed by the Auckland Council, Hauraki District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Waikato District Council and Waikato Regional Council. The Forum is required to present triennial reports regarding the state of the environment of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. More information on the Forum and the Marine Park is available at
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Revitalising The Gulf At Risk With Continuation Of Bottom Trawling
Press Release – Hauraki Gulf Forum The Hauraki Gulf Forum has continually expressed concern about trawling in the Gulf, and advocates for the removal of fishing methods that damage the seafloor, says interim Executive Officer of the Forum, Katina Conomos. Progress on revitalising the Hauraki Gulf is at risk with the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries confirming the Government will not implement trawl corridors. The Hauraki Gulf Forum has expressed concern at the Minister's comments, made at the Environmental Defence Society's Oceans Symposium in Auckland yesterday, and are calling for urgent action to prevent a further decline in the health of the Marine Park. 'The Hauraki Gulf Forum has continually expressed concern about trawling in the Gulf, and advocates for the removal of fishing methods that damage the seafloor,' says interim Executive Officer of the Forum, Katina Conomos. 'Bottom contact fishing destroys benthic habitats and the marine environments they support. We can and should do better than continue to allow these types of destructive fishing practices, it is not sustainable.' Restricting bottom trawling is a significant plank in the Government's response to SeaChange, alongside the creation of Marine Protected Areas through the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill and local marine management by Mana Whenua and local communities through Ahu Moana. 'Our communities want to see the Gulf thrive for generations to come, with abundant fish populations supported by a thriving marine ecosystem. To achieve this, we need urgent action to reverse the ongoing decline in the health of the Gulf.' says Cr Warren Maher, Co-Chair of the Forum. 'Abandoning action on trawl corridors, which has been awaiting a decision since 2023, will severely degrade any progress towards a revitalised Gulf.' Notes: The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is New Zealand's first marine park, established by the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act in February 2000. At 1.2 million hectares (20 times the size of Lake Taupō) it stretches from Te Arai in the north to Waihi in the south and includes the Waitematā Harbour, Gulf Islands, Firth of Thames and the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The Park is the seabird capital of the world, and a whale superhighway, but as successive State of the Gulf reports have shown, it is a shadow of its former self. The Hauraki Gulf Forum The Hauraki Gulf Forum is a statutory governance board established under the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 to promote the conservation and management of the natural, historic, and physical resources of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and communities of the Gulf and New Zealand. The Forum consists of representatives from tangata whenua of the Hauraki Gulf and its islands; the Ministers of Conservation, Oceans and Fisheries and Māori Development; and elected members appointed by the Auckland Council, Hauraki District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Waikato District Council and Waikato Regional Council. The Forum is required to present triennial reports regarding the state of the environment of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. More information on the Forum and the Marine Park is available at
