November 29, 2017
Legal barrier to seismic ban
Climate Change Minister James Shaw says the Government did not have the legal option to block the world’s largest seismic testing ship from exploring the South Taranaki Bight.
The Amazon Warrior arrived back ion New Zealand waters on Saturday and will spend the next three months setting off underwater blasts in the area, which is home to blue whales and other engendered marine mammals.
Taranaki iwi and environmentalists have called on the New Government to refuse it a licence to operate.
But the Greens’ leader says that was not possible.
"That whole process was started before we got into Government so we actually had pretty much no legal options available to prevent that. It shows we need to improve the quality of our regulation and our legislation to take account of environmental factors when we are granting permits for that kind of activity," Mr Shaw says.
The Greens are pleased another oil explorer, Anadarko, has given up its remaining permits and leaving the country
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com