Fisheries has found an unseasonably early spot on the election agenda, following three years of controversial pro-industry policies from the coalition Government.
National’s conservation spokesperson Tama Potaka announced Hauraki Gulf fishing policies over the weekend, including getting rid of ring netting in high protection zones and a review of bottom trawling corridors.
Beginning to campaign on a fisheries policy nine months out from the election is a sea change from the previous election, when it wasn’t really on the agenda.
Less than a month out from the 2023 election, National had no dedicated fisheries policy.
The proactive release of a fisheries policy is hardly surprising considering the kick back against the Government’s policies, with some of the tension coming from the boat-owning cohort one might categorise as typical National voters.
To find out whether the extra attention on the fisheries portfolio would lead to greater campaigning this time around, this month Newsroom emailed the major parties seeking information on what their policies will be.
Labour, Greens and New Zealand First responded. No responses were received from National, Act and Te Pāti Māori.
Potaka’s announcement is the first firm oceans and fisheries policy released by any of the parties and helpfully fills that void.
National
In his capacity as National’s conservation spokesperson, Tama Potaka announced the party would campaign on undoing his decision to allow ring net fishing – carried out by five or so fishermen – in two of the 12 high-protection areas in the Hauraki Gulf.
He was warned against the move by his officials but decided to go ahead with it anyway.
His policy announcement called it a coalition decision, but there’s no doubt Shane Jones heavily influenced this considering his subsequent championing of the decision.
Potaka also committed to reviewing bottom trawling in the gulf: “A further decision, to allow bottom trawling in some designated trawl corridors in the Gulf has also been controversial so we will review that also.”
The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill introduced high protection and seabed protection areas that exclude trawling, dredging and Danish seining across 18 percent of the gulf.
This had some overlap with the existing 27 percent that can’t be bottom fished.
Another piece of work, initially picked up by the Labour Government and then iced by the coalition, that would have protected as much as 89 percent of the Hauraki Gulf shallower than 200 metres from bottom fishing.
After Shane Jones announced this wasn’t on his agenda – he described it as “undercooked” – he told Newsroom it was likely another government would pick it up down the line.
Potaka says a consistent approach to protecting the gulf is needed: “We need to strike the right balance for future use of the Hauraki Gulf and other waters around New Zealand for those who fish, dive, swim, or collect kaimoana recreationally, as well as commercial and customary users.”
NZ First
Getting rid of ring net fishing in high protection areas and further restricting bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf are not on New Zealand First’s agenda heading into this election.
It hasn’t developed firm election policies, but Shane Jones’ pro-industry views and actions while in office leave little to the imagination.
“Such matters will be settled closer to the election,” he says.
“We will, however, ensure that the quota management system is fit for purpose, the science is robust, and all stakeholders have the opportunity to participate in consultative processes. It is important that the fisheries sector performs economically.”
Jones says sustainability, reducing regulatory impost, supporting a new generation of fishers and delivering quality science were the most pressing policy matters.
“We have an enviable system for managing fisheries. However, with changing weather and geopolitical uncertainty, we must remain adaptable and willing to change management approaches.”
He believes bottom trawling should continue in the gulf, but more effort should be put into improving harvest technology, presumably to enable more selective fishing or to lessen environmental impact.
Jones’ controversial agenda has seen him put in place a lot of his vision for the sector, albeit constrained by being a part of a coalition, so it will be interesting to see what New Zealand First comes up with.
Labour
Labour’s oceans and fisheries spokesperson Rachel Boyack tells Newsroom she believes the most pressing policy issue is about the sustainability of the sector and ensuring it can grow while also protecting ocean health.
“Our focus will be backing our blue economy to thrive and create well-paid jobs, and ensuring our oceans remain sustainable well into the future.”
It plans to support fishers, and the wider blue economy, with its proposed $200m-plus Future Fund.
The party has, like National, committed to reversing the decision to allow ring netting in Hauraki Gulf protection areas.
Boyack says it is disappointing to see the Government cave into lobbying when put under pressure.
“The Hauraki Gulf is in a state of ongoing environmental decline and there’s an urgent need to prevent further degradation of our marine ecosystems through overfishing and pollution.
“There’s a real risk of damaging our gulf for future generations with this concession.”
A complete ban on bottom trawling in the gulf doesn’t appear to be on the cards under Labour.
“Labour is really proud of the work we undertook in government to progress safeguarding the Hauraki Gulf, which included a proposed ban on bottom trawling for most of the gulf.”
“We’ll continue to work with the sector and relevant communities to understand what else might be required to protect the Gulf.”
Greens
Green party spokesperson for oceans and fisheries Teanau Tuiono was unsurprisingly the most environmentally minded.
Tuiono believes New Zealand has failed to successfully balance conservation and economic activity.
When asked about the most controversial oceans and fisheries policy in the current term, he pointed to the Government allowing some commercial ring netting to take place in Hauraki Gulf protection zones and the 20-year blanket extension given to all marine farm resource consents.
He says the most pressing issues across the portfolio included increasing the number of marine protected areas and reforming the associated legislation, protecting the Hauraki Gulf, and “taking on the fisheries industry’s corporate pillaging of the moana”.
The Green party is yet to formalise its election policy, but Tuiono pointed Newsroom to its 2023 policies, which included establishing an oceans commission, legislating to reach 30 percent marine protection by 2030, and banning bottom trawling while investing in a transition toward more sustainable fishing practices.
It proposed a $60 million fund to support this transition to more sustainable commercial fishing practices.
It also proposed separating the oceans and fisheries portfolios, citing a possible conflict of interest.
Act
Act didn’t respond to Newsroom’s questions, but fisheries is hardly a top priority for the party.
However, reducing regulatory red tape is a priority of the party. And commercial fisheries is a highly regulated, if not the highest regulated, industry in New Zealand.
When Shane Jones announced his sweeping reforms to the Fisheries Act last year, its oceans and fisheries spokesperson Mark Cameron said the sector had been “over-regulated and stigmatised by landlubbing activists with no idea of practical realities at sea”.
In support of the controversial bill, Cameron said it gave fishers “real hope of relief from unnecessary red tape”.
It appears that it would support further easing of fisheries regulation or related environmental protection measures.
Te Pāti Māori
Fisheries is a complicated subject for Te Pāti Māori, which has a strong environmentalist stance and has actively campaigned against seabed mining and the like.
It could be expected to support new marine protection areas if they were backed by iwi/hapu, but might be hesitant to infringe on customary fishing rights in some areas.
Commercial fishing and aquaculture are also important parts of the Māori economy, with quota rights an important part of Treaty negotiations.