September 20, 2020
Fishing industry under scrutiny in Green policy
The Green Party wants to review the quota management system as part of an ambitious plan to overhaul the fishing industry to make it more environmentally sustainable.
Its Thriving Oceans policy announced yesterday by co-leader Marama Davidson also calls for an end to bottom impact trawling, dredging, and Danish seining in the Hauraki Gulf.
It would also zone parts of the gulf for additional protection, including areas for customary takes and iwi and hapū management, as well as no-take marine reserves and areas for scientific research.
Ms Davidson says the scope of the quota system review would be developed in partnership with Māori, under a kaitiaki framework which upholds te Tiriti and Māori commercial fisheries rights.
Under the Māori fisheries settlements, Māori dropped their objections to the quota management system, and the resulting industry has put hundreds of millions of dollars into iwi coffers over the past three decades and also put them at odds with environmental groups which have tried to limit fishing activities and methods.
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