Te Ipukarea Society in the Cook Islands has launched a petition against the growth of purse seine fishing inside the country's exclusive economic zone.
Purse Seine fishing Photo: Supplied
Cook Islands News reports a spokesperson for the environmental group saying the petition would show the government voters are unhappy with its fishing policies.
The petition calls on the government to sell no more purse seine fishing days, and phase them out altogether by March next year.
Cabinet recently granted approval for more negotiations on the remaining 1,250 purse seine allocations for 2015.
The government has signed a deal with the Korean fishing company Silla Co for 400 days of purse seine fishing, and a US fleet of purse seiners has been fishing in Cook Islands waters since 2012.
