Commercial Fishing Has No Place in Highly Protected Areas – It’s Beyond Belief  

Cabinet’s recent decision to allow commercial fishing to take place in ‘High Protection Areas (HPAs)’ within the Gulf is absurd and it is disgraceful to call them ‘highly protected’.  

After decades of work by many across government, iwi, science, fisheries and community groups and unanimous approval from the Environment Select Committee in June this year, the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill would be a huge step forward for one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most outstanding areas of marine and seabird diversity and support the recovery of the life and ecosystems within it.  

With the Gulf on the brink of ecological collapse, the watered-down amendments from Cabinet mean commercial fishing will be allowed in the 6.3% of the Gulf proposed as HPAs. It’s important to note, within the Bill 93.7% of the Gulf will remain open to commercial and recreational fishing practices.  

Allowing for commercial fishing to take place within ANY of these critically important HPAs undermines the very purpose they exist – to provide a haven of protection for marine ecosystems and vulnerable species that depend on them, and essential for the future recovery of the Gulf.  

Bottom line: The amendment is an incredibly dangerous precedent to set for marine protection.  

While the amendments cause concern, Live Ocean celebrates the Cabinet’s agreement to pass the Bill into Law – creating 12 new high protection areas, five new seafloor protection areas and two extensions to existing marine reserves. True high protection areas will give the Gulf the lifeline it needs to recover. The protection can’t come soon enough.  

We support any area that protects marine ecosystems and the life in it, however Live Ocean urges Cabinet to reconsider their amendments to this important and historic Bill which presents the best, perhaps the last chance to halt the decline of the Gulf.