Alongside our allies, Greenpeace has today handed in a petition to parliament calling for the government to drop amendments that would allow commercial fishing in highly protected areas of the Hauraki Gulf.
Over 30,000 people signed petitions or an open letter voicing their opposition to the changes.
Last month, the Luxon-led government announced it planned to change the Hauraki Gulf Protection Bill, which aims to revive the health of the Gulf so that a form of commercial fishing would be allowed to go ahead inside zones that are earmarked for high protection.
Public resistance to the changes was swift and strong. Over 30,000 people signed petitions or an open letter voicing their opposition to the changes, and today, Greenpeace, alongside WWF- New Zealand and Forest & Bird, presented them to parliament.
Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans campaigner Juan Parada says that the strong response shows that New Zealanders care about Tīkapa Moana – The Hauraki Gulf and want the marine park protected for the future.
“Today, we told the Luxon-led government that commercial fishing has no place in supposedly high protection marine areas that are meant to provide a critical safe haven for marine life from fish to dolphins and seabirds.
“Decades of exploitation, including ongoing bottom trawling, have brought Tīkapa Moana – The Hauraki Gulf to the brink of ecological collapse. Now is not the time to further weaken protection measures by bowing to fishing industry pressure.”
Greenpeace is also calling for a ban on bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park as the new Bill still allows the destructive fishing method to continue in large areas of the Gulf.
“Bottom trawling is the worst of the worst when it comes to commercial fishing methods, and there is no place for it to continue in a marine park where ocean life is struggling,” says Parada.
Last year, hundreds of people joined a flotilla organised by Greenpeace and Forest & Bird calling for a ban on bottom trawling in the Gulf, and over 30,000 people signed petitions calling for the same.
Images for editorial use can be downloaded here: https://media.greenpeace.org/Share/pi75g38q2f02543ju7tg86jq1qc2j877
