Conservation Minister Tama Potaka stands behind the last-minute amendments to the Hauraki Moana Protection bill, allowing commercial operators to fish certain species in his newly announced ‘high protection’ areas.
But opponents say the amendment has wrecked years of hard work driven by mana whenua, community, and advocacy groups.
“What the government is doing is sneaky, sneaking in an 11th-hour change after a process that’s been about 10-15 years in the making,” Labour’s spokesperson for conservation Priyanca Radhakrishnan says,
The proposed changes occurred because of a decline in biodiversity and the
ecosystem.
Mana whenua and advocacy groups supported the original Hauraki Moana Protection Bill, created by the Labour government last year.
“The sea change process brought together iwi, industry, local communities, local and central government. And the select committee agreed unanimously that it should be passed with no substantive changes and, now (this coalition) decided to allow commercial fishing in a highly protected area,” Radhakrishnan. says.
“It just seems like commercial interests again, “ Labour MP Willie Jackson says.
”And we know there is a priority for Shane Jones but it seems there is a priority for Tama Potaka, which is incredibly sad.”
Greens spokesperson and ecologist Lan Pham has the same view: “We are hugely disappointed by this government’s backtrack. We’ve been in full tautoko (support) about the community-led, iwi-led, and iwi hapū driven processes that have taken place literally over the last decade to get to this point.”
The amended bill will allow ring-net fishing within two high-protection areas near the islands of Kawau, Rangitoto, and Motutapu but only between March and August.
Despite the criticism, Potaka believes the amended bill is topnotch.
“We are providing protection as never before, nearly 18% over the entire (Hauraki) Gulf. And we are very proud of that,” Potaka. says.
Five commercial operators are allowed in these high-protection areas.
“There is a limited exception for very small fishers under certain conditions to fish for certain species, Potaka says. “That’s what we intend to put to Parliament and, hopefully, it will be passed.”
