Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Close Fisheries, Ban Dredging To Protect Remaining Scallops, Minister Urged

Forest & Bird is calling on the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to close scallop fisheries in the Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel and Northland, where stocks have essentially collapsed.

In an open letter to the Hon David Parker, Forest & Bird urges closure of the SCA 1 and SCA CS fisheries.

“Allowing our scallops to decline towards such critically low levels is a disgrace. It’s a symptom of the dire state and poor management of our shared oceans, particularly in the Hauraki Gulf," says Kevin Hague, Chief Executive of Forest & Bird.

At least four iwi and hapū have already taken action to protect tipa (scallops) through tikanga rāhui, initiatives that Forest & Bird strongly supports.

In contrast, Forest & Bird says the commercial scallop industry has shown itself to be deliberately offensive and irresponsible. The organisation has drawn the Minister’s attention to the outrageous actions of commercial scallop dredgers, who flew a pirate flag while dredging scallops in a rāhui area off the Coromandel coast in August last year.

“This demonstrates the disrespect of commercial operators, blatantly flouting a rāhui that was put in place with wide support from hapū, recreational fishers and the local community, to protect already devasted scallop beds,” says Hague.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

In the letter, Forest & Bird also seeks a ban on dredging for scallops, writing, “This method of fishing is destructive, indiscriminate and seriously damages the seafloor."

Scallops play an important ecological role in storing carbon and cleaning water. “The Hauraki Gulf shellfish once daily filtered four and a half times the volume of the Gulf, a critical ecosystem function that has been all but lost,” says Hague.

A Forest & Bird Official Information Act request to the Ministry for Primary Industries revealed that the agency had no assessments of the role of scallops for either carbon storage or filtering water.

The Minister is set to decide on sustainability measures for the SCA 1 and SCA CS fisheries by 1 April 2022.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.