Fight to stop large marine reserve
Commercial fishermen planning to fight plans to establish large marine reserve off Great Barrier Island in Hauraki Gulf
3 April 2003
Plans to establish a large marine reserve off Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf are meeting stiff opposition from commercial fishermen.
They say they are aghast at the proposed size of the reserve, planned for the northeast coast of the island.
The Department of Conservation is talking about an area of 57,000 hectares.
The Northern Inshore Fisheries Company, which represents fishermen, says that is enough room for more than 260 million people to snorkel in.
Company chairman Bruce Young says they will be fighting the proposal, but he admits it's not going to be easy.
He claims the current regime sees the creation of marine reserves as a way of catching votes leading up to the next election.
Mr Young wants a more reasonable approach to the proposal.
He says he is confused about DOC's plans, which he says contain a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings, but no clear statement of the objective of the reserve.
© 2010 NZCity, IRN
