Legislation brought by the coalition government last year, established 12 high protection areas (HPAs) where a range of activities, including most commercial and recreational fishing, are prohibited, and five sea floor protection areas.
At the time, the opposition criticised the government for a late-stage amendment allowing commercial ring-net fishing operators exclusive access to two of the HPAs.
In a statement on Saturday, Potaka acknowledged that had “caused widespread concern from the hundreds of thousands of users of Auckland’s key recreational waterway”.
Maungakiekie-based Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan said at the law’s introduction that Labour would reverse the carve-out, if elected.
“Despite the environment select committee unanimously recommending to this house that the bill be passed with no substantive change, at the 11th hour, because of some active lobbying of the minister of oceans and fisheries, we saw this government cave to that pressure and they have chosen to water down the protections in the original bill.
“Labour, in government, will reverse the change that allows ring-net fishing in those HPAs.”
Now, Potaka said National would also look to reinstate a total ban on fishing in the HPAs if re-elected.
“A further decision, to allow bottom trawling in some designated trawl corridors in the Gulf has also been controversial, so we will review that also.”
He wanted a consistent approach to the protection of the gulf, that struck a balance between serving the needs of recreational users as well as commercial.
“At the heart must be the health of the Hauraki Gulf. It is Auckland’s playground and the centrepiece of some of New Zealand’s most iconic aquatic events.”
