31934 (2025). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries

31934 (2025). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: What protections, if any, do Benthic Protection Areas provide beyond the seafloor, where midwater trawling, longlining, and other extractive practices are still permitted, particularly in areas not considered trawlable?

Hon Shane Jones: The purpose of Benthic Protection Areas (BPAs) is to protect areas of the seabed from the impacts of fishing by prohibiting all forms of trawling and dredging in the water column up to 100 metres above the seafloor. In areas within BPAs that are not currently trawled, these protections prevent any future development of trawling activity.