A US court has ordered an immediate ban on New Zealand exports of snapper, tarakihi, spotted dogfish, trevally, warehou, hoki, barracouta, mullet, and gurnard from the inshore trawl fishery and inshore gillnet fishery off the west coast of the North Island.
Conservation group Sea Shepherd had asked the US Court of International Trade to bring in a ban, arguing a lack of action by the New Zealand government to protect critically endangered Māui dolphins. There are only around 50 left.
Under US law, an import ban can kick in if the court agrees a country is not applying similar protections to those in place in their waters.
Sea Shepherd filed the lawsuit in 2020, against the US Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, NOAA Fisheries, and the Treasury Department. The New Zealand government joined the US defendants in fighting the case.
A judge in the New York court ruled in Sea Shepherd's favour on Tuesday morning (NZT), issuing an injunction on those exports.
The ban could cost up to $2m a year in exports of fish from Māui habitat.
But it is likely the US will require a traceability programme - and if New Zealand can't prove where fish were caught that could cost $200m worth of exports.
The ruling is also a rejection of a controversial risk model adopted by the Ministry of Primary Industries to make dolphin protection decisions. Both the International Whaling Commission and International Union for the Conservation of Nature have asked for much stronger protection measures.
Sea Shepherd New Zealand’s managing director Michael Lawry said they were happy the Court of International Trade recognised the urgency of the situation.
