January 13, 2021
Dredging and over-fishing anger Maori environment roopu
One of the founders of a new Māori environmental roopu says iwi should leave some of their fishing quota on the wharf to help with conservation efforts.
Kelly Klink from Aotea Great Barrier says Mauri o te Moana came out of a national hui on the island last month looking at the health of the oceans.
She says the Government’s declaration of a state of climate emergency should be matched by a state of emergency on the health of the moana.
“Mauri o te Moana are asserting our rangatiratanga to demand an immediate change on how we, as a nation, interact with our ocean,” she says.
“The oceans are the lungs of the earth and our biggest carbon sink. There is no more time for tinkering. Urgent transformational action is needed to reverse the damage caused by human exploitation of this eco-system.”
She says Aotea is playing its part by challenging Auckland Council and Ports of Auckland dumping dredging from the harbour channels into the Hauraki Gulf.
She also wants to seen an end to bottom trawling, which damages the seafloor, and action taken on over-fishing.
“Commercial fishing, we need to put a halt, and looking at iwi with our fishing quota, we need to cut back on that as a people. If we are kaitiaki in this space we need to be leading the charge,” Ms Klink says.
Mauri o te Moana has called a hui for Karetu Marae in the Bay of Islands from February 3 to 7.
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