Commercial fishing unsustainable says Green

Gideon Porter Commercial fishing unsustainable says Green

Download Audio

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says a plan to put 30 per cent of the country’s marine spaces into reserves by 2030 will protect Māori interests as well as all other New Zealanders.

She says the party would demand a Green minister for oceans and fisheries at the Cabinet table who would get to work immediately on the creation of a new independent, science-led Ocean Commission to advise the government on te Tiriti-led action to protect the ocean, in much the same way as the Climate Change Commission has done on climate action.

Māori, who have interests in recreational, customary and commercial fisheries, have resisted initiatives such as the Kermadec ocean sanctuary which would extinguish gains made in the Māori Fisheries settlement.

Ms Davidson says commercial fishers are already in an unsustainable industry because fish stocks are being depleted and habitats ruined.

“My mokopuna might not get to taste snapper, if we don’t hurry up and put some restoration rāhui in place… so we would do that working with local communities, mana whenua, mana moana – to design a whole new framework for protecting our ocean,” she says.

Ms Davidson says the overriding focus of parties like National and Act on the economy, will bring short-term gains at the long-term expense of the environment.

RELATED NEWS

All go for Maketu Estuary restoration Peters counts cost of Northland neglect Māori olympian Lisa Carrington recipient of top New Years Honours