April 28, 2017
Te Ikaroa tells indigenous UN forum oil extraction violation of rights
Hapu and iwi protesting oil exploration along the eastern seaboard of the North Island have taken their case to the United Nations.
Tawera Tahuri from campaign group Te Ikaroa – Defending Our Waters told the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues today that seismic surveying and oil extraction were a violation of indigenous rights.
She says the iwi and hapu rely on the coastal waters for spiritual, cultural, emotional and physical sustenance.
Ms Tahuri says Maritime New Zealand doesn’t have the capacity to deal with any spill at the proposed drilling depths.
She called on the forum to oversee the implementation of the Law of the Sea.
The Amazon Warrior, the world’s largest seismic testing vessel, has been surveying the area since December.
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