The Green Party has announced its plan to protect the Hauraki Gulf, including closing Luxon’s carve-outs for commercial fishers, phasing out bottom trawling and protecting 30% of it by 2030.
“Everyone loves the Hauraki Gulf. We’re supposed to protect and look after the things we love. The Greens will ensure Tīkapa Moana is restored now, flourishing for generations to come,” says Green Party Co-leader and MP for Auckland Central Chlöe Swarbrick.
“New Zealanders deserve to drink, fish and swim in their local water. Those rights are being taken away by rules that privilege commercial profit."
“The Greens will fix the rules and ensure politics backs up the immense local effort by community, iwi, hapū, conservationists and recreational fishers to support the restoration of our Hauraki.”
The Green Party will:
- Remove the ring-net fishing exemption from the Gulf's high protection areas immediately, through a Bill released today.
- Phase out bottom trawling, starting with seamounts and ecologically significant areas like the Hauraki Gulf.
- Commit to the Hauraki Gulf Forum's goal of protecting 30% of the Gulf by 2030, as part of the Green plan to protect at least 30% of New Zealand's moana by reforming marine protected area legislation.
- Support iwi and hapū to lead ocean protection in the Gulf by embedding kaitiakitanga Māori in marine management, resourcing iwi and hapū to lead oceans protection mahi.
Increase resourcing for marine biosecurity.
- Reduce fisheries bycatch by rolling out cameras on boats and setting fisheries-related mortality limits.
- Enabling the Gulf’s fisheries to be managed according to the health of the entire ecosystem by reviewing the Quota Management System.
- Stop pollution before it reaches the Gulf by strengthening rules for wastewater discharges and phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
“It took over a decade and multiple processes to extend protection to 6%. Luxon’s Government then ignored 30,000 New Zealanders and carved out commercial fisher’s ability to fish in so-called High Protected Areas.”
“The Greens tried to work with the National Party at the time to prevent those carve-outs, but the Government chose to push ahead. The good news is that meant we drafted the Bill to reverse this unfair treatment and will restore High Protection Areas immediately.”
“We will grow that protection to 30% of the Hauraki within the next four years, working with iwi, the Hauraki Gulf Forum, Councils, community, and the vast, sweeping majority of New Zealanders who want action now.”
“We understand the ecosystem, meaning pressures facing the Gulf also come from the land around it, and in turn impact the seabirds and life that rely on it. That’s why we’ll sensibly regulate what can get in, protect what’s there, and resource revitalisation.”
“We know protection works. Goat Island has been a marine reserve since 1975, and the snapper and crayfish came back. We’ve got more than enough science and community support to do the right thing. The question is whether there the political will to take on commercial interests, and that’s what the Greens are here to deliver,” says Swarbrick.
