500 signatures reached
To: Hon David Parker, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries
Respect The Rāhui - Supporting the protection of our Oceans
We are calling on you, David Parker, as the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to show leadership in giving effect to the tikanga rāhui placed by hapū and iwi of Ngāti Hei; Ngāti Pāoa; and Ngāti Kāhu ki Whangaroa by gazetting the provisions of s186A of the Fisheries Act by expediting these applications to stop the degradation and loss of taonga species in these rohe moana.
I support Mauri o te Moana in calling on the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, David Parker to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to protect taonga species and our taonga moana spaces by acknowledging the tikanga rāhui within these respective rohe.
Mauri o te Moana believe that too many months have passed on the urgent matter of protecting our moana. We are asking for community and tangata whenua to support the rāhui and the s186A temporary closure applications in being approved quickly by the minister of Oceans and Fisheries.
Why is this important?
Our moana is under increasing stress from many different effects including chronic overfishing by industrialised methods such as dredging and trawling in the coastal marine areas which has led to the significant decline of treasured species to both Māori and the wider community. The community supported the actions of hapū / iwi to make the applications of protecting these taonga species. Mauri o te Moana hosted an online hui with Māori leaders in this space, who have been waiting for months for a response from the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, David Parker.
The Fisheries Act has provisions for Māori values through its customary regulations, however these provisions are problematic and challenging for tangata whenua to use. The Fisheries Act, section 186A temporary closure application that has been sitting with the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, David Parker for over 8 months, this delay has resulted in the continuation of destructive activities.
Māori leaders have found the tool to be prohibitory, slow and disconnected from addressing the chronic marine degradation caused by overfishing. Several hapū and iwi of Te Moananui a Kiwa have applied under the Fisheries Act regulations for closure to fisheries to speed up recovery of taonga species.
Link to Hapu and Iwi Applications:
- Ngāti Hei
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/proposed-temporary-closure-of-the-eastern-coromandel-coast-to-the-harvest-of-scallops/
“I’m really blown away by the support and I believe it’s going to start a chain reaction of rāhui.” - Joe Davis
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300344835/hallelujah-moment--pito-bay-scallop-rhui-unites-community-creates-ripple-effect
- Ngāti Kahu - Whangaroa Harbour
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/proposed-temporary-closure-of-the-whangaroa-area-to-the-harvest-of-scallops/
The closure was requested by Nga Hapū o Karangahape marae, Whānau pani, Ngāti Kaitangata and Ngāti Kauwau, who are concerned scallop stocks have been depleted due to flooding, sediment, dredging, water quality, overfishing and climate change.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/far-north-scallop-ban-public-in-favour-of-whangaroa-harvesting-rahui/LWFRLFWGLQ2HDU625NVTZOAWGY/
- Ngāti Pāoa - Te Moutere o Waiheke
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/proposed-temporary-closure-around-waiheke-island-to-harvest-of-scallops-mussels-rock-lobster-paua/
"There's nothing to actually take anymore, so that's the real concern for our iwi. So it was quite a simple, easy decision to make, to actually put on the table that we need to lay down a rāhui to restrict everyone from taking particularly species that are now extinct," - Herearoha Skipper
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/two-year-rahui-for-waiheke-island-waters-to-protect-kaimoana/4Z7OHUUDFR2VZJZ22FTAAG2NVE/
Tangata whenua, marae, hapū and iwi are experiencing the degradation of their rohe first hand. The loss of taonga species associated with these areas has been distressing and made the maintenance of tikanga (customary practices) more challenging as localised extinction occurs in the near shore coastal environment.
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