Source: Radio New Zealand
NZ First’s Shane Jones and National’s Tama Potaka. RNZ
New Zealand First has hit out at National after its coalition partner promised to campaign on stronger fishing protections in the Hauraki Gulf.
National’s conservation spokesperson Tama Potaka laid out the position his party would take to the election campaign over the weekend.
He said the coalition’s decision to allow commercial fishing in two of the 12 High Protection Areas (HPAs) in the gulf had caused “widespread concern” from the public.
Last year, the government passed legislation establishing 12 HPAs, where most commercial and recreational fishing were prohibited, and five sea floor protection areas.
At the time, the opposition criticised the government for a late-stage amendment allowing commercial ring-net fishing operators exclusive access to two of the HPAs.
“National will look to reinstate the ban on all fishing in the High Protection Areas,” Potaka said over the weekend.
“A further decision, to allow bottom trawling in some designated trawl corridors in the Gulf has also been controversial so we will review that also.”
‘Who will pay for it?’ – Shane Jones
New Zealand First’s deputy leader Shane Jones said National’s decision risked $250 million worth of property rights secured in a major treaty settlement more than 30 years ago.
“Any suggestion that commercial fishing has to be terminated and trawling has to be outlawed in the Hauraki Gulf almost certainly lead to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property rights being cancelled.”
Jones said National’s policy would “lead to the unravelling” of the 1992 Sealord Deal – a significant fisheries settlement that gave iwi 50 percent of the Sealord company and a substantial quota of fish caught through the Quota Management System.
He said everyone weighing into the debate needed to bring a “level of even handedness” to discussions to avoid a massive taxpayer bill.
“We can float what we like as politicians in the election campaign but at some point in time, manifesto ideas will meet the sheer cold reality of who will pay for it.
“People who want to terminate commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf need to take account of who will bear the costs because we’re not a communist country that goes around summarily cancelling property rights.
“The advocates for terminating commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf are essentially saying they want to terminate property rights. Well, we’re not Venezuela.
“If you want to terminate property rights then you have to deal with compensation and no one who proposes the termination of fisheries is willing to explain or justify why a quarter of a billion dollars should be spent on turning the hierarchy golf into a mill pond.”
Potaka said National could protect the Gulf while also respecting fishery settlements.
“High Protection Areas were always intended to provide genuine protection, and if elected we will restore that integrity in a way that upholds our obligations and respects existing fisheries settlements.
“New Zealanders expect clarity and consistency in how marine protections are applied, and we are being clear that safeguarding the long-term health of the Hauraki Gulf is the responsible course for its future and for the country.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
