September 19, 2016
Dion Tuuta, CEO Te Ohu Kaimoana on Paakiwaha.
Dion Tuuta, CEO Te Ohu Kaimoana on Paakiwaha.
Plans by the government for a huge ocean sanctuary surrounding the Kermadec Islands was met with anger from Te Ohu Kaimoana, the Maori Fisheries Settlement Trust having received no government consultation on the issue and how this would affect Maori treaty fishing rights.
Te Ohu Kaimoana met last week with officials to offer a deal but the Minister for the Environment Nick Smith turned it down with the trust threatening a legal battle.
The new CEO of Te Ohu Kaimoana,Dion Tuuta say's it got to this stage because the Crown basically refused to talk to its treaty partner.
He says somebody came up with an idea to do something which affected Maori rights and went off and decided to do it without considering that that might actually have a material impact on Maori. And we’ve objected to that.
Mr Tuuta says Minister Smith wants what he wants, and that will come at the expense of Maori rights. We’re not prepared to put up with that.
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