The Hauraki Gulf is a delicate ecosystem, home to the critically endangered Bryde’s whale, biologically important fish species and at-risk seabirds.
The Hauraki Gulf Forum says last-minute changes to the Marine Protection Bill announced this week to allow commercial fishing in ‘high-protection’ areas threaten to “set back our protection and restoration efforts by decades.”
“[This] undermines years of collaboration by successive governments with iwi, communities and industry to ensure that the Gulf is protected and restored,” the Hauraki Gulf Forum says in response to news this week that commercial fishing would be allowed in areas earmarked as “high-protection” by the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill.
• Tessa King.
Full story in this week’s Gulf News……. On sale now
© Waiheke Gulf News Ltd 2024
