Kaitiakitanga - leaving something for future generations

Kaitiakitanga - leaving something for future generations

April 12 2016

“Te Ohu Kaimoana’s fight to stop a marine sanctuary in the Kermadec waters fails to understand this is about preserving something for future generations,” says former Minister of Conservation and Associate Maori Affairs, Sandra Lee.

The proposed Kermadec Sanctuary is one of five marine sites across the world that have been identified by National Geographic as so unique, pristine and scientifically important that they must be preserved from commercial exploitation. One other in the north western Hawaiian islands has already been established with the support of the Hawaiian tangata whenua who lobbied President Bush for its creation.

Endangered species like Humpback and Southern Right Whales swim the warmer Kermadec waters as they migrate to their Antarctic feeding grounds. When the whaling industry finished, only fifteen of the Southern Right whale remained. Today numbers have increased to over 2000.

“New species are being discovered all the time, which is not surprising given that the Kermadecs are the location of the world’s second deepest water trench and the largest ever underwater volcanic erupted.

"Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana (TOKM) Jamie Tuuta, has said that creating the Kermadec Sanctuary was ‘like the government taking someone’s vacant lot in central Auckland to use for the housing crisis.’ That suggests Mr Tuuta thinks TOKM owns the oceans of New Zealand. A better analogy would be government and iwi creating a national park in Auckland’s Waikatere ranges and not building a single house. The Kermadecs are not a vacant lot. They are teeming with life, some of it yet to be discovered, some of it endangered.

"Te Ohu Kaimoana have a poor conservation record. They openly supported illegal Japanese whale hunting in the United Nations Southern Ocean sanctuary when I was Minister and probably still do. Perhaps they could focus their energy on helping our own unemployed rangatahi to get on the water fishing their own quota instead.”

The Fisheries Settlement between Maori and the Crown was designed to work in tandem with the quota system which covers all commercial fishing and is built on the need to balance commercial growth with sustainable fish stocks.

“Protecting some waters from commercial fishing and creating marine reserves is completely compatible with the legislation. In fact protection is required in the legislation. No quota has been taken away from TOKM. The data shows there has only been minuscule commercial fishing in Kermadec waters; its more economic to fish elsewhere.

“Climate change, deforestation, pollution, erosion and species depletion are bringing our planet to the brink. Corporates like TOKM should pay more heed to this and the sustainability and kaitiakitanga they pay lip service to. Its not all about the bottom line."

Sandra Lee is Ngāi Tahu. She is a former Minister of Conservation, and Associate Minister of Māori Affairs. She worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts to campaign for a marine reserve in the Kermadec waters.

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