Mahurangimatters 3 July 2013 | 3
Anger over possible cuts to snapper allowance Recreational fishers in the Mahurangi region are not happy about possible cuts to the number of snapper they will be allowed to catch each day. Many remain convinced that ‘you’re cutting your own throat’, but up getting more money. commercial fishers are also to blame recreational fishers shouldn’t bear the But marine biologist Roger Grace says for low snapper numbers, which has brunt.” it doesn’t matter who is taking the fish. the Government worried. He suggests increasing the minimum He says maximum sustainable yield Data from the snapper fishery covering snapper size to 300mm or closing the figures are “pretty woolly” because they are reached by guessing the the Hauraki Gulf, eastern Northland season to everyone. and the Bay of Plenty shows the area Mangawhai Boating and Fishing weight of a population. is well below sustainable levels, and Club captain Buck Buchanan says “They focus on a single population recreational and customary fishers are commercial fishers do more damage of fish but the ecology of the sea is being blamed for exceeding their daily than recreational fishers and should be integrated. If you take out too many allowance of nine fish each. banned from fishing within 12 miles predators you’ll have an impact on the The Ministry of Primary Industries of the shoreline during spawning ecosystem and throw it out of balance.” is preparing draft regulations for season from October to December. He says snapper eat kina, which eat managing the fishery and the Sports “Forty percent is too much. They kelp. The drop in snapper has seen the Fishing Council is predicting cuts of should leave us with nine and push the kina “multiply like mad” and chew up up to 40 percent. size up to 320mm.” kelp forests that shelter hundreds of Commercial fishermen were facing a The owner of Warkworth store Game species of invertebrates. 10 percent cut, but the suggestion has Gear, Anthony Roberts, also believes Dr Grace says the result has been a been withdrawn. it’s the commercial fishers who are to “gross degradation” of shallow reefs throughout the region. Recreational fisherman and former blame. Kawau Fishing Club president “You’ll always get a portion of “They’re called kina barrens and Dudley Cooper says he can accept recreational fishers that are wasteful they’re like a paddock full of sheep. Dudley Cooper says cuts are needed the reduction so long as commercial but commercial guys take everything You don’t expect native forest to grow but recreational fishermen shouldn’t fishers take a cut as well. out of the ocean. If you punish there. It’s very bad and it’s getting be made to bear the brunt. “Nine fish per person per day is not a recreational fishers they’ll spend less worse. We need a good smattering of What do you think the bad feed, but it gets back to those who on bait, fishing tackles and fuel. The marine reserves to help restore areas.” Government should do about cost of that is greater than putting a aren’t honest enough to keep it at that. He says kina barrens take 15 years to the snapper fishery? quota on commercial fishers.” We just catch our fish and that’s it, restore. Examples can be found on the Take part in our online forum but the amount [who take too much] He says they might catch less, but coast between Tawharanui and Omaha at www.localmatters.co.nz. – it’s unreal. It’s dishonest and we say demand will increase and they’ll end and at Daniels Reef at Matheson Bay.
Consents advertised for Te Arai golf development American financier and golf enthusiast Ric Kayne has applied for resource consent to undertake works associated with the construction of a golf course on a coastal strip at Te Arai. Mr Kayne hopes to build visitor accommodation for up to 30 guests, a reception and amenities building, pool, spa and wellness centre on the 230ha site. The consent, submitted by Tara Iti Management, the company owned by Ric and his wife Suzanne, also seeks approval from Auckland Council for onsite wastewater treatment and extensive earthworks. Tara Iti Management is described in the resource consent application as the unconditional purchaser of the land. The golf course is part of a larger commercial forestry parcel of 616ha, owned by Te Uri o Hau which acquired the land as part of its Waitangi
Treaty settlement in 2002. The hapu formed Te Arai Coastal Lands Trust with developers Darby Partners and has been trying to subdivide and develop the land for many years. However, it has run up against sustained opposition from people concerned that its plans threaten the survival of the criticallyendangered NZ fairy tern, which nests in the area. The trust’s latest proposal to develop 46 ruralresidential lots has yet to be submitted to Council for consideration, but has already been opposed by the Rodney Local Board. Meanwhile, the applicant has asked for a direct referral to the Environment Court for water and earthworks consents, which were advertised in March. A total of 31 submissions were received on the application – one supported the application, 22 opposed it, five requested further investigation, one
requested that the application be granted subject to conditions and two submissions were neutral. The direct referral process transfers the process to the court for a decision, bypassing the Council hearing stage. It is normally used for large-scale or complex applications, which are likely to end up in the court on appeal. Te Arai Beach Preservation Society spokesperson Chris Wild says the process would have been significantly better for all concerned had Council dealt with the development in a holistic way, rather than the piecemeal approach it has adopted which is likely to result in the society having to make several appearances in the court. Submissions on the Tara Iti Management resource consent close on July 16. The court’s decision on whether to accept the direct referral is still pending.
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