Lewis Avenell – Zone

Just recently the reefs surrounding Mōtītī Island in the Bay of Plenty were closed off for at least the next 10 years because of an Environmental Court decision. Our Council is heavily engaged in the Environment Court proceedings that are considering a similar closure in the Bay of Islands.

The NZSFC is strongly objecting to any closures using the RMA in this manner. No doubt there will be other occurrences of this RMA silliness to deal with before that legislation is replaced.

Finally, the Government has announced its response to the Sea Change plan for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. They couldn’t have got it more wrong if they tried. In the Revitalising the Gulf plan their answer to decades of depletion and unrelenting habitat destruction is 11 marine reserves that permit customary fishing, meanwhile trawling and dredging can continue. And, the future of purse seining in the Marine Park depends on the outcome of a forage fish evaluation. Clearly, we have work to do to get this plan back on track to implement the previously agreed Sea Change plan.

So, we might be called the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council but there is more substance to us than what you might think. I encourage you to read this report to better appreciate what we are doing to both advocate for abundant fisheries and to protect access to fishing in your part of New Zealand’s coastline, then please think about how you can help.