Jono Ridler has arrived in Wellington Harbour and has made his way to Parliament after completing a swim the length of the North Island in a push to end bottom trawling.
The endurance swimmer reached Whairepo Lagoon at noon today, finishing the 1367km journey after more than three months in the water.
He met with Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka at Parliament this afternoon, delivering his call for an end to bottom trawling.
Ridler’s Swim4TheOcean campaign, aimed at raising awareness about ocean health and the impacts of bottom trawling, has gathered more than 60,000 signatures.
Ridler’s Swim4TheOcean campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the impacts of bottom trawling, has gathered more than 60,000 signatures. (Source: 1News)
Beginning at Waikuku Beach near North Cape on January 5, Ridler swam the length of the North Island’s coastline and spent more than 460 hours in the water.
Organisers Live Ocean described Ridler’s effort as an “unprecedented feat” of endurance.
Following his arrival at the Wellington waterfront, Ridler thanked those who had followed his journey, including his family, and said the level of public backing made the cause “impossible to ignore”.
“That’s always been the way throughout history. If you get people, you get change,” he said.
“We need to look after our beautiful country.”
Speaking to 1News outside Parliament, Ridler said he was looking forward to “resting and recovering” with his wife and daughter.
“My body has been battered over the last three months, and it deserves some rest,” he said.
“It will be really special to be a parent and be present for my daughter once again. It’s going to be amazing.”
Ridler said despite the achievement, the push to end bottom trawling was far from over.
“I’ll have a bit of a break, but our work doesn’t stop here. We’ve still got work to do, in terms of advocacy.”
Bottom trawling is a fishing method in which large, weighted nets are dragged across the seabed to catch fish, and has been considered by many as destructive due to its damaging impacts on marine ecosystems.
‘Epic and legendary effort’
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka acknowledged Ridler’s “epic and legendary effort”, praising his achievement to a crowd of supporters at Parliament’s forecourt.
“Your efforts have inspired people across the world. It shows how resolute you have been,” he said.
“This is a day to celebrate your life and recognise that the ocean is our greatest ally in the fight for a healthy planet.”
Potaka told 1News further discussions about bottom trawling in New Zealand would be held after the petition’s arrival at Parliament.
“We will continue to consider what options we have to ensure we have the right balance between the environment and the economy,” Potaka said.
“We’ll explore things, but we’ve made some earlier suggestions about what we might do, and we’ll continue with that.”
The petition is set to arrive at Parliament on April 29.