Bay of Plenty residents and recreational fishers in particular are raising strong objections to the pending closure of
the three largest reef structures surrounding Motiti Island.
Bob Gutsell, President of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, says his Council and LegaSea supporters are extremely
disappointed.
“It just doesn’t seem right that the public can be denied fishing access to such a wide area. We’re talking an area of
around 63 square kilometres that has been closed arbitrarily, without public consultation. This decision is concerning
for our local members and every Bay of Plenty ratepayer.”
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea are convinced this is yet another failure of the Fisheries and
Resource Management Acts.
“This closure represents nothing more than a band aid on the gaping wound of decades of poor fisheries management
practices around New Zealand. While fish stocks have been decimated by slow, inadequate management, special interest
groups are clutching at straws to use the RMA for purposes it was not designed for”, says Papamoa resident Vance Fulton.
“The Court’s decision now requires Regional Councils to implement management practices for which they have neither the
resources or management skills and experience. In essence, ratepayers lose fishing access while footing the bill for the
management of those areas. That’s not fair.”
LegaSea spokesperson Sam Woolford said it was important that Kiwis retained access to fish to feed their families. The
Covid-19 crisis has highlighted food security issues for thousands of people. It was concerning that closing such a
large swathe of water would put increased pressure on surrounding areas.
“The closures are a blunt instrument that provide for all-or-nothing controls without addressing the root cause of the
problems that result from depleted fish stocks. We need to square up to the real issues of depletion, bottom trawling
and the loss of marine biodiversity due to the bulk harvesting of inshore Bay of Plenty waters”.
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea call on the Government to close the loopholes in the RMA. The groups
say the Government must take action to ensure that fish stocks are replenished and so that all Kiwis families can enjoy
unrestricted access to New Zealand’s coastline.
ORIGINAL
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council & LegaSea are extremely disappointed that the Environment Court has confirmed closure of the three largest reef
structures surrounding Motiti Island. That such a dramatic change in fishing access across such a wide area (approx. 63
km2) could be arbitrarily made by a court without public consultation is yet another failure of the Fisheries and
Resource Management Acts.
This closure represents nothing more than a band aid on the gaping wound of decades of poor fisheries management
practices around New Zealand. While fish stocks around New Zealand have been decimated by slow unreactive management
practices, special interest groups are clutching at straws to use the RMA for purposes it was not designed for.
Requiring Regional Councils to implement management practices for which they have neither the resources or management
skills and experience. In essence, rate payers lose access to their fishing areas and end up footing the bill for the
management of these areas through the rates they pay.
Rather than creating idealised oases of protected habitat for species to flourish and return to abundance, the closures
will just place increased pressure on surrounding areas. They are a blunt instrument, that provide all or nothing
controls, without addressing the root cause of the problems that result from depleted fish stocks.
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council & LegaSea call on the Government to close this loophole in the RMA and take action to ensure that fish stocks are
replenished to an abundance to be enjoyed by all New Zealanders with unrestricted access to all of New Zealand’s
coastline.