Media statement
For immediate release
Tuesday, 7 December 2004

Baldock delighted by Minister’s backdown

United Future fisheries spokesman, Larry Baldock, has congratulated Recreational Fishing NZ, Big Game Fishing and Option 4, on their achievement in forcing a backdown by the Minister of Fisheries, David Benson-Pope.

“His willingness to drop any attempt to alter recreational fishing bag limits is simply an admission that he got it all wrong in the beginning,” said Mr Baldock.

“Reducing bag limits was pointless, once the kahawai had been allocated to the commercial fishing interests of the purse seine fishers .

“While I welcome the announcement, I congratulate the spokesperson for Recreational Fishing interests on continuing to press the Government for a full review of the quota allocation.

“The Greens’ suggestion of more research is a pathetic compromise when that was already promised by the Minister and announced at the Recreational Fishing Council meeting in July this year.

“The Government must take seriously the amateur fishing groups’ concerns and do something about commercial purse seine fishing in kahawai, or face the consequences of legal action which has been well prepared and well supported by the recreational fishing community.

End.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The Government's Assault On Maori

This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Audrey Young in the NZ Herald has compiled a useful list of the many ways Christopher Luxon plans to roll back the progress made in race relations over the past forty years. He has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. More