Reverse the decision to open protected areas of the Hauraki Gulf to commercial fishing

In the latest salvo of Luxon’s War On Nature, commercial fishing will be allowed in new ‘highly protected’ areas in the Hauraki Gulf marine park after a last-minute U-turn by ministers.

This is a huge broken promise to Aucklanders and a damaging blow to the Tīkapa Moana Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, which is on the brink of ecological collapse. 

Overfishing, habitat loss and pollution have already led to a 57% decline in key fish populations, a 67% decline in seabirds, and a 97% decline in whales and dolphins in the Hauraki Gulf. Scallop and crayfish populations are functionally extinct in some areas.

The creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Hauraki Gulf is critical to protecting and restoring the ecological health of this precious area while also ensuring that a family can go out and catch a feed.

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill was going to do that but the future of Hauraki Gulf is now even more at risk because the government has bowed to the fishing industry and decided to ammend the bill to allow commercial fishing in areas that are designed to provide a critical safe haven for marine life to recover.