New Zealand's Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has postponed the controversial Fisheries Amendment Bill until after the next general election, leaving unresolved a heated dispute over environmental protections for the country's seabed. The bill had drawn criticism from marine scientists concerned it would weaken safeguards governing bottom trawling — a method that accounts for roughly two-thirds of New Zealand's commercial catch by volume and has disturbed nearly half a million square kilometres of the country's waters since 1990. With the legislation on hold, scientists are calling on the government to use the pause to reconsider its approach, including proposals to close 50% of New Zealand's exclusive economic zone to bottom trawling, up from the current 15% at fishable depths, arguing that stronger marine protections are essential not only for ocean health but for the long-term viability of the fishing industry itself.