July 10, 2019
Mōtītī appeal could open door for Māori resource input
Whānau and hapū from Mōtītī Island in the Bay of Plenty have been in the Court of Appeal fighting for regional councils to be able to protect their coastal marine species and habitats from the effects of fishing
The crown has reversed its previous position and accepts both the Fisheries Act and the Resource Management Act allow that to happen, but inshore, rock lobster and paua industry groups say managing fish stocks is the job of the Minister for Fisheries.
Sally Gepp, the lawyer for Forest and Bird which is supporting the Mōtītī Rōhe Moana Trust, says the case could determine whether Māori have a true say in the way their environment is managed.
"The approach we are advocating for gives Māori a greater voice because they are able to be involved in those regional planning processes and directly influence the outcomes and that may be because of a customary right or because of an interest like that or it may simly be because they have a relationship with an area and say these species are a taonga and we want to protect them," she says.
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