Large corporations are planning to exploit natural resources in New Zealand waters, such as phosphate deposits on the Chatham Rise and deep sea oil in the Raukumara Basin.
These destructive extractive activities threaten our biodiversity and the health of our marine ecosystems. We urgently we need an over-arching and robust management regime for our oceans.
The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill proposes to set up an environmental management regime for certain activities in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone − the area of sea, seabed and subsoil from 12 to 200 nautical miles offshore − and the Continental Shelf beyond that. The activities covered by the Bill include seabed mining, some aspects of petroleum activities, energy generation carbon capture and storage, and marine farming.
The Green Party welcomes greater regulation of activities in this zone, however we have serious concerns with the Bill at present.
Have your say!
Make your submission now with our prewritten quick submission form, or see our submission guide to write your own. Submissions must be received by 5:00pm, Friday 27 January 2012.
