Whether you’re an avid fisherman, diver, or just enjoy the glorious landscape of the Hauraki Gulf, the proposed Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill will determine where and what you can access in our Marine Park.
The Environment Select Committee recently concluded public hearings on the Protection Bill and the range of views expressed over two days was wide ranging.
Terry Creagh, delegate for the Warkworth Gamefish Club, was one of many submitters who spoke at the hearings about his experiences and the wonders of what the Hauraki Gulf used to be. Baitfish were a common sight in Kawau Bay, and you only needed to go knee-deep to find an array of shellfish.
Now what do we see? Depleted scallop beds, unhealthy skinny, mushy fish, kina barrens, and the increasing prevalence of pest species such as Caulerpa seaweed. These are all obvious signs our marine ecosystem is struggling and restoration is urgently needed.
So what have officials proposed as a solution? A dozen new High Protection Areas, several Seabed Protection Areas, and two extensions to existing marine reserves. Yet the core issues destroying the environment have not been addressed. Bottom trawling can continue, catch limits for some of our coastal fisheries are excessive, and little is being done to prevent land-based runoff.
Clearly, this is not enough to restore the mauri (life force) of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Vice President of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, Andrew Johnson, put it simply, “Without addressing destructive fishing methods, over harvest, and land-based run-off, we will continue to see a decline in the health of our Marine Park.”
Alongside Andrew and Terry at the hearings, many local voices echoed similar concerns that without meaningful restoration there will be no change. And, the same amount of fish can still be extracted from the Hauraki Gulf.
Creating marine reserves to protect small areas will serve to intensify fishing pressure within the unprotected space left available.
LegaSea has been campaigning for the entire Marine Park seafloor to be protected, and we’re not alone.
Professor Simon Thrush, a globally recognised scientist, was astounded that such destructive fishing methods will still be permitted in the Gulf under the proposed Bill. Simon has completed extensive research on the Gulf’s seafloor. He explained to the Committee that areas claimed to be ‘muddy and sandy’ that will remain open to trawling, are in fact highly diverse and aren’t any less worthy of protection.
Simon was also highly embarrassed at the length of time it took to develop the Protection Bill, likening it to a snail’s pace.
We agree Simon, it’s embarrassing that 24 years after creating the Marine Park, more than a decade of Sea Change discussions, and clear scientific evidence, the Bill is all we have to show for that investment.
A quote from the hearings that best summarises the sentiment is, “You’re fiddling while Rome’s burning”. Fish populations and the marine environment will continue to decline unless the Bill is amended to address the core issues. Banning trawling and improving land management is fundamental to delivering real protection for our Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Originally published in Mahurangi Matters