March 28, 2024
Kermadec ocean sanctuary plan scrapped
The Government has pulled the plug on the proposed Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, which was first announced by then National Prime Minister John Key at a United Nations oceans conference in 2015.
Cabinet has removed the Bill to established the sanctuary from Parliament’s order paper.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says the current marine reserve around the Kermadec Islands extends 12 nautical miles from the shores of the various islands, which is ample to preserve the unique environment of the marine life that inhabits the region.
He says it makes no sense to make a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone for Kiwis making their living from the sea, including iwi who received the Kermadecs fishing quota in a 1992 Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says commercial activities already occurring around the Kermadec Islands pose limited risk to its marine environment because of stringent regulations around the current reserve.