Marine – Gulf future in our hands

With the last of the scallop beds now shut, Mahurangi locals need to invest more than ever in restoring the Hauraki Gulf. (see story below) The Rodney community has a track record of prioritising the health of the Hauraki Gulf. Two years ago, it was the community who united in support of Ngāti Manuhiri to lay a rāhui and protect the last scallop beds. Late last year, after a lack of action by Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ), the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker was forced to issue an emergency closure to protect the few remaining scallop beds.

Today, there is no commercial scallop fishing left in New Zealand. With local scallop populations at an all-time low, all commercial scalloping has been closed due to over-harvest and environmental degradation. In March, FNZ proposed a progressive fisheries plan which would deliver a healthier marine environment. We were hopeful that this would be a step in the right direction. However, part of their proposal is to allow bottom trawling, scallop dredging and Danish seining to continue in the Marine Park.

One of the plan’s objectives is to remove recreational scallop dredging in order to ‘protect benthic habitats from adverse effects of bottom contact fishing methods’ yet commercial dredging can continue if the scallop fishery reopens. This decision doesn’t make sense. In fact, it’s dripping with hypocrisy.
There is nothing progressive about a plan that advocates for a healthier marine environment while allowing archaic and destructive fishing techniques to continue. The good news is that by March, over 30,000 people had already united and signed the Hauraki Gulf Alliance petition calling for a ban on destructive fishing methods, and a further 7000 New Zealanders put in personal submissions supporting this.

With an overwhelming public desire to prioritise the health of the Hauraki Gulf, and a general disregard by ministry officials, we have to question what ulterior motives are at play here? Clearly, there is increasing pressure on the government to get trawling and dredging out of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Now it’s up to the Oceans and Fisheries Minister to decide on the fate of the draft plan.

We know Rodney locals want to see a thriving Hauraki Gulf. We just need to show the government there is a growing public appetite for banning bottom trawling and scallop dredging from Gulf waters. If you haven’t already, please sign the petition using the link below.

https://haurakigulfalliance.nz/petition/