In November 2024, an act of "environmental vandalism" was announced by Greenpeace after the devastating destruction of coral was brought on by a fishing boat from New Zealand. It has been estimated that 37 kilograms (81 pounds) of coral has been cleared.
Bottom trawlers — the type of boat responsible for the destruction — tow nets to catch fish and other marine species living on or close to the seabed, the Marine Stewardship Council explains.
Senior campaigner of Greenpeace Violette Snow told Yahoo the fishing method is "tearing up ancient coral gardens and scarring the seafloor in our big blue backyard, with devastating consequences to the ocean, which is already under mounting pressure from overfishing, climate change and pollution. It is deeply concerning that such a practice is still allowed."
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Definitely 👍 The dredging is said to be an accident and New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries Manager of International Fisheries, James Brown, said there are "no indications the vessel breached its high seas fishing permit at this stage" per Yahoo.
The area is a plateau that is home to cold-water corals, which are highly endangered. An estimated 70% of the world's corals are "directly and immediately threatened by local and global pressures," as explained by the Coral Guardian. Meanwhile, the High Seas Alliance, an international collective of conservation organisations, has identified trawling as the "biggest threat" to the region's ecological integrity.
Amid the calamity, Greenpeace "has urged Australia to take a stand against the destruction of sensitive marine environments."
In particular, they called on the Australian government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, which is a legal mechanism for marine conservation in international waters created by the United Nations.
The incident led to the immediate closure of the fishery, which is on international waters. Its suspension is managed by the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, an intergovernmental organisation with over 15 participating jurisdictions, including Australia, New Zealand, China, and the United States, which will review the incident and consider whether to reopen the closed area in 2026.
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