An imminent decision to increase the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for snapper would be a direct violation of the first-ever Treaty Settlement and inevitably breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says Te Pāti Māori.

Te Ohu Kaimoana has sought a High Court declaration to prevent the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries from increasing the TACC without Māori receiving a proportional increase, as guaranteed in the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement 1992.

"This coalition is reckless, undermining the principles of Te Tiriti, and now threatening, in the darkness of the moana at night, to place the Māori Fisheries Settlement into dispute,” said Tākuta Ferris, spokesperson for fisheries and MP for Te Tai Tonga.

“The High Court judge has warned the Fisheries Minister and Crown that a decision threatening a 20-29% loss of the Māori fisheries quota would be yet another breach of the 1992 settlement.

“Since the 1992 settlement, increases in TACC for any species should have been met with the same increases to Māori quota. This government has been continuous in its breach of this settlement and the Treaty,” said the MP for Te Tai Tonga.

“What’s more, is that any additional species added to the Quota Management System also had to have the relevant percentage of quota afforded to Māori.

“This government fails to acknowledge that Te Tiriti supersedes any legislation and must be upheld first. No law consented by virtue of Te Tiriti o Waitangi trumps it.

“A decision to increase the TACC without redress and proportional increases to Māori quota will reignite the debate on the management of New Zealand’s fisheries and Māori fisheries rights. They should expect to bear the consequences,” said Ferris.

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