Coastal Coalition
Committed to retaining the Foreshore and Seabed in Crown ownership
www.CoastalCoalition.co.nz

14 March 2011

Media Release
Marine Bill Amendments set up exclusive racial fishing zones.

“Through amendments in the massive 73 page Supplementary Order Paper 207, which changes almost every clause in the Marine and Coastal Area Bill, the National Party is planning to enshrine in law exclusive race based fishing zones”, Dr Hugh Barr, spokesman for the Coastal Coalition said today.

“Under the changes that have been made to the wahi tapu provisions in clause 78, iwi will be able to set up exclusive private fishing areas for the tribal groups awarded a customary title. Now, as well as being able to use tribal heavies as “wardens” to patrol wahi tapu areas to keep the public out, fisheries officers and honorary fisheries officers will be forced to help police these exclusive racial zones. They will be required to report to the Police any trespassing or fishing by those New Zealanders who presently have free access to all fishing areas through public ownership of the entire foreshore and seabed area.

“Under the new amendments, it now appears that a major purpose of wahi tapu will be to create exclusive private fishing areas for the group, with trespass rights against the general public. This is almost identical to a dry land private property trespass right.

“Probably the only customary marine right prior to 1840 was for fishing and shellfish gathering. That means that many of the areas that will be given customary marine title will also be important and popular public fishing areas. But iwi already have received compensation for these areas through the Maori Fisheries Sealord deal, which gave iwi 20 percent of the commercial catch, and made provisions for customary catch. This bill looks set to further disadvantage the public who are having their coastal rights stripped away by the National Party.

“These amendments confirm that the National Government’s main goal in this legislation is to take rights from the public and award them solely to coastal iwi. Non-iwi New Zealanders will be the big losers under this divisive and fraudulent Bill”, Dr Barr said.

The amendments, SOP 207 is at: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/sop/government/2011/0207/latest/DLM3591801.html
There is also a small subsequent Government amendment – SOP 211.

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