A mural of Pacific Ocean seamounts, created by muralist Payo Sochting, presented at the SPRFMO Commission meeting in Santiago, Chile. Photographer: Felipe Mardónez.The 13th SPRFMO Commission meeting, which took place from 17-21 February, 2025, once again concluded without any concrete action to deliver stronger protections to safeguard biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea.
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), present throughout the meeting, raised concerns over SPRFMO’s inability to counter government and industry dismissal of robust protection measures for VMEs, including seamounts.
Despite clear SPRFMO convention and global obligations to prevent damage to vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), including seamounts, SPRFMO member New Zealand blocked the implementation of conservation measures it had agreed to in 2023.
Bottom trawling continues to threaten seamounts despite multiple international resolutions committing to their protection. With numerous meetings and negotiations scheduled this year, including Our Ocean Conference in South Korea, and the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, States and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) have an opportunity to show global leadership and enforce long-overdue management and protection measures, including closing seamounts to bottom trawling.
Bronwen Golder, DSCC Seamounts Campaign Director:
“This week, SPRFMO had an opportunity to follow the best available science and demonstrate leadership in environmental protection through responsible fisheries management. While other SPRFMO members reaffirmed their strong support for the implementation of agreed measures to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, New Zealand took a position that defies science, weakens our confidence in the implementation of international commitments, and leaves some of the planet’s most fragile and biodiverse marine ecosystems at risk.”
“With the United Nations Bottom Fisheries Review in 2026, it’s hard to see how SPRFMO will get close to achieving international commitments to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems from bottom trawling. Industry complained that the fishery rules were too complex – but the solution is simple… put corals, seamounts and other vulnerable ecosystems off-limits to bottom trawling. Other fisheries organisations around the world have already done this – it’s high time the parties to SPRFMO caught up.”
Karli Thomas, DSCC New Zealand and South Pacific Seamounts Campaign Lead:
“New Zealand has again been left a pariah in the South Pacific, blocking vital protection as its trawlers continue trashing deep sea corals. It’s the only country still bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, and it has again been a roadblock to progress. This year things reached new lows, with the Minister wanting to increase the amount of coral our trawl nets can destroy, and threatening to leave this multilateral forum that New Zealand itself helped to set up.”
Commission members also discussed a performance review of SPRFMO – the report stated unequivocally that the bottom fishing rules are legally binding and should be implemented. New Zealand must follow internationally-agreed rules, and the Minister must heed the reminder from the country’s High Court this week, which stated in a judgment: “if fishing cannot occur in an environmentally sustainable manner, it cannot occur at all.”
Duncan Currie, DSCC’s Head of Delegation at SPRFMO, commented on the broader implications:
“SPRFMO’s failure to adopt robust protection measures for vulnerable marine ecosystems raises serious questions about its credibility as a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO). With growing international scrutiny on deep-sea bottom trawling, and increasing scientific consensus on its devastating impacts, this inaction to protect biodiversity hotspots positions SPRFMO at odds with global conservation efforts. This is a missed opportunity to protect our ocean for future generations.”
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Images
Please find photography in a Dropbox folder linked here.
Notes to Editors
Ahead of the meeting on Sunday 16th February, the DSCC hosted a panel discussion with Chilean Senator Lagos Weber, Ambassador and Director of Environmental Division of Chile MFA, Julio Cordano, Lindsay Gordon of Parley for the Oceans, and DSCC Co-Founder and Policy Advisor Matthew Gianni.
Afterwards, panelists and delegates were invited to collaborate on the painting of a 20-meter long mural by Chilean artist Payo with the Bla! Art Collective depicting three seamount areas: Sala y Gomez & Nazca, Emperor and Louisville. Photos available on request.