A legal case is being brought against the government for failing to use laws that would protect thousands of marine animals. The landmark legal proceedings have been filed today by the Environmental Law Initiative - a non-profit which aims to ensure the effective protection of natural resources.
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The respondents in the case are the Minister of Conservation, the Attorney General, and the Directors General of the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries.
The Environmental Law Initiative alleges that some aspects of the government's management of protected species may be unlawful, including the way reporting on bycatch is conducted, and the way some offences connected to bycatch are investigated and prosecuted.
A 2019 report by the Ministry for the Environment found found 22 percent of all assessed marine mammals, 90 percent of all seabirds and 80 percent of shore birds are threatened or at risk of extinction.
Kathryn Ryan speaks with Ingrid O'Sullivan, Environmental Law Initiative's Senior Policy Advisor for Oceans and Coasts.
