Hauraki Gulf
Introduction
In good faith the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council has engaged in discussions about improving the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park environment.
Throughout the Sea Change process we advocated for a ban on bottom trawling, dredging and seining. The Park also needs to be designated as a separate fisheries management area so fish populations can be restored to more natural levels.
After all, the purpose of the Park is to both sustain the life-supporting capacity of the marine ecosystems, and provide benefits for the community surrounding the Park.
Fisheries NZ recently consulted on a draft Fisheries Plan. This was the prime opportunity to give effect to the government’s vision of precautionary management and “ensuring the long-term health and resilience of ocean and coastal ecosystems, including the role of fisheries”.
Finally, a plan to integrate fisheries management and marine protection. Not so.
The NZSFC, LegaSea and the Hauraki Gulf Alliance wrote to the Minister in early 2023 objecting to the lack of measures in the final Plan to ban destructive, bulk harvesting fishing methods within the Park.
Not only that, it’s totally unreasonable to have a separate process to debate where trawling will be permitted and how big those ‘corridors’ may be, and a further process to discuss marine protected areas (MPAs).
The Minister of Conservation has submitted a Bill to Parliament seeking 19 new MPAs, yet there are no measures to mitigate the fishing effort that will be displaced into Northland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty waters.
A big reason why there is no integration between fisheries management and MPAs is because the Quota Management System grants entitlements to quota owners who control where and how much fish is taken.
Without a separate management area 100% of the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) could be taken from within Park boundaries, with no limits of effort and few controls on how that fish is harvested.
We’re being held to ransom by an outdated Quota Management System and a lack of Ministerial control, it seems only changes agreed by quota owners and officials can and will be implemented.
Reports
Every three years the Hauraki Gulf Forum produces a report on the state of the Hauraki Gulf marine environment. Included in the reports are responses to issues and specialist information from Forum member agencies, including Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation.
Environment reports
2023
Report. State of our Gulf. Hauraki Gulf Forum. Aug 2023
Report on the state of the marine environment in the Hauraki Gulf. Hauraki Gulf Forum. August 2023.
Summary. State of our Gulf Report. Hauraki Gulf Forum. Aug 2023
Summary of the report detailing the state of the marine environment in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Hauraki Gulf Forum. August 2023.
2020
Report. State of the Hauraki Gulf environment. HG Forum. Feb 2020
Tikapa Moana – Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report. Hauraki Gulf Forum. February 2020.
2017
Hauraki Gulf. State of Environment report. HG Forum. Dec 2017
Tikapa Moana – Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report. Hauraki Gulf Forum. December 2017.
Hauraki Gulf. State of Environment report summary. HG Forum. Dec 2017
Tikapa Moana – Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment Report summary. Hauraki Gulf Forum. December 2017.
2014
Hauraki Gulf. State of the Environment report. HGF. 30 Sep 2014
Report. The natural assets of the Hauraki Gulf continue to decline and bold steps are required to improve management. Hauraki Gulf Forum. 30 September 2014.
2011
Hauraki Gulf. State of the Environment report. HGF. Aug 2011
Tikapa Moana – Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment report. Most indicators show ongoing environmental degradation. By 1995 the snapper population had been reduced to 11% of unfished biomass. Hauraki Gulf Forum. August 2011.
2008
Hauraki Gulf. State of the Environment report. June 2008
Commercial fishing within the Hauraki Gulf is taking around 6800 tonnes of fish (all species) per year, of that around 2000 tonnes is snapper. Hauraki Gulf Forum report. June 2008.
2004
Hauraki Gulf. State of the Environment report. HG Forum. 2004
Tikapa Moana – Hauraki Gulf State of the Environment report. Snapper in the Gulf and Bay of Plenty reached a low point between 1985 & 1995. Reductions in catch limits have contributed to a rebuild. Hauraki Gulf Forum. 2004.
Submissions
- Hauraki Gulf trawl corridors 2023.
- Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill 2023.
- Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan 2023.
- Coromandel scallop closure 2023.
- Hauraki Gulf-Waikato regional plan 2023.
- Hauraki Gulf-Waikato regional plan 2022.
- Hākaimangō-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) marine reserve 2022.
- Hauraki Gulf marine protected areas 2022.
- Umupuia Beach, Manukau s186A temporary closure 2008-22
- Coromandel east temporary closure 2021.
- Waiheke temporary closure 2021.
- Ponui, Hauraki Gulf mussel farm application 2019-21.
- Sea Change Marine Spatial Plan 2014-21
- Te Mata, Thames s186A temporary closure 2019-22.