March 21, 2016
Kermadec plan disregarding 1992 settlement
The chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana says the unilateral creation of a giant marine sanctuary around the Kermadec islands sets a dangerous precedent for the crown rolling back treaty settlements.
The Maori fisheries settlement trust has filed papers in the High Court challenging the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill introduced last week.
Chair Jamie Tuuta says the sanctuary will close off Fisheries Management Area 10, which all iwi have quota in.
The Maori Fisheries Settlement included a requirement that government work with iwi or their agents on any changes to fisheries management laws, but there was no communication before the announcement was made.
"That in a sense is total disregard to what was agreed in 1992 and I would have thought if the government was looking to materially impact or change those agreements made in 1992 it would be sensible to sit down and discuss those proposals with Te Ohu Kaimoana and iwi beforehand," he says.
Jamie Tuuta says if the Government had consulted, Te Ohu Kaimoana could have suggested other ways to achieve its sustainability objectives without cutting off Maori access to the migratory tuna fishery around the Kermadecs.
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