MEDIA STATEMENT

Friday 16th August 2013

Māori Party happy to work with recreational fishers to bring home the snapper

Māori Party co-leader, Te Ururoa Flavell, has invited recreational fishers to channel their concerns around snapper stocks in the Snapper 1 area directly through to him in his electorate office in Whakatane.

SNA 1 area encompasses East Northland, Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty, and therefore borders on the Waiariki electorate.

“There has been great interest across the rohe, in the debate around the overall catch limits, bag limits and allowable size of fish” said Mr Flavell.  “The Maori Party is happy to hear from those in the recreational fishing sector either by receiving a copy of their submission or by email and phone”.

“Recreational fishers are claiming their rights to catch fish, grab a bucket of pipi, pick a pot of mussels and catch an eel for their tables and freezers.   As tangata whenua we share the concerns held by both recreational and customary users that the last thing we need is for this vital resource to be threatened by commercial interests”.

“The concept of rahui (temporary moratoriums) applicable to known spawning areas is well known in traditional Maori custom, and there is a strong case for restricting fishing in inshore areas to line and hook only, requiring commercial trawling to take place only outside fixed boundaries beyond the safe reach of smaller recreational craft.

“What we all need to focus on is how to balance the needs and rights of everyone in the fishing industry, to ensure we are all on the same playing field, while also safeguarding this resource for future generations”.

ENDS

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