From Legasea
Now is the time to have your say on the Fisheries New Zealand proposals for trawl corridors in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Deadline is November 6. Please take this opportunity to have your say about the future of bottom trawling and Danish seining in the Marine Park.
It’s vital that we get as many people as possible to make a submission to Fisheries New Zealand, telling them how you feel. We have made it simple for you to do this with our easy-peasy submission form.
Despite overwhelming public opposition, Fisheries New Zealand has presented 4 options for creating’ trawl corridors’ in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. None of the 4 options offer a complete ban on bottom trawling, Danish seining and dredging.
Additional Information released last week shows that all the corridors are placed in areas that are currently being trawled, with very little trawl effort applied outside of the planned corridors. It’s the status quo. Effectively, nothing will change.
We’re promoting Option Zero – zero bottom trawling and Danish seining in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Please take the time NOW to make a quick submission. This could be our last chance to get trawling out of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park for the next decade.
The Environment Select Committee is currently considering new legislation for
managing the Hauraki Gulf that will have a profound impact on all who fish or recreate in its waters.
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill supports the establishment of 19 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), 5 Seafloor Protected Areas, and the extension of 2 existing marine reserves.
We do not believe the proposed protection measures go far enough to restore fish abundance and biodiversity in the Hauraki Gulf. Marine protection and fisheries management controls need to go hand-in-hand, otherwise all we will do is shift current fishing methords
We want 100% of the Hauraki Gulf seafloor protected from destructive, mobile fishing methods including bottom trawling, Danish seining and dredging. And, we want Ahu Moana, a joint iwi/hapū and community driven solution to resolve local depletion issues.
It’s vital that everyone affected by this approach has their say. Public consultation is open until 11.59 PM, November 1.
