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The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act passed last week, but not without some criticism over the decision to allow commercial ring-net fishing in high protection areas.
The bill will see the establishment of 19 new marine protected areas for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, which includes the extensions to two existing marine reserves – Te Whanganui-o-Hei/Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve and Cape Rodney/Okakari Point (Goat Island) – five seafloor protection areas and 12 high protection areas.
The areas will nearly triple protection in the Gulf from just over six per cent, including the cable protection zones, to about 18 per cent, supporting the recovery of some of its most biodiverse regions, including its nearshore areas and deep reefs.
However, the NZ Sport Fishing does not believe the legislation goes far enough.
It says the seafloor needs 100 per cent protection from destructive fishing methods and it fears fishing is likely to shift out of the Gulf and into the waters of Northland, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
