A proposed new ocean sanctuary near New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands is receiving criticism from some lawmakers and the members of the country’s seafood industry.
At 620,000 square kilometers (around 240,000 square miles), the Kermadecs Ocean Sanctuary would be one of the world’s largest fully protected marine areas. It would cover an area of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone from 12 to 200 nautical miles from the five Kermadec Islands of Raoul, Macauley, Cheeseman, Curtis and L’Esperance, which lie halfway between New Zeland’s North Island and Tonga. Environmental groups say the area lies along an important migration route in the Pacific, and is home to many unique habitats and ecosystems.
Legislation introduced earlier this year would enact protections over the area beginning 1 November, 2016, including the banning of all fishing and aquaculture, as well as oil, gas and mineral extraction. Currently the New Zealand government estimates about 20 metric tons of fish (mainly swordfish, bigeye and albacore tuna and blue shark) are caught in the proposed sanctuary annually for a total value of about NZD 165,000 (USD 114,000, EUR 101,000).
Seafood New Zealand, which represents the country’s seafood insutry, called for further study of the proposal before passage.
“The New Zealand seafood industry supports marine conservation, but any new measures to introduce marine protected areas must be taken in full, considered consultation with all relevant stakeholders,” Seafood New Zealand board chairman George Clement said.
According to Seafood New Zealand, the Kermadecs Ocean Sanctuary proposal overrides seafood industry rights which are ingrained in the country’s quota management system. The group questions whether the proposal also may conflict with the rights of the Maori people embedded in the Maori Fisheries Settlement Act and the Treaty of Waitangi.
“Industry has demonstrated its commitment to marine conservation, but in this instance, we take issue with the poor process taken and ask Government to redress this,” Clement said.
On Wednesday, 13 April, the leader of the New Zealand First political party, Winston Peters, announced the withdrawal of his support for the sanctuary, though New Zealand Prime Minister John Key continued to back the proposal, according to Radio NZ.
