13 January 2016

Government trades Māori Treaty rights for Auckland votes

The National-led Government’s first major announcement of 2016 is to trade Māori Treaty rights for Auckland votes in its bid to progress a recreational fishing park say the iwi of Tikapa Moana / Hauraki Gulf.

The Auckland fishing park is planned to be established through a fast track process piggy-backing on a fundamental revamp of the marine reserves legislation.

Hauraki Māori Trust Board chairman David Taipari, Ngāti Whātua Rūnanga chairman Russell Kemp and Ngātiwai Trust Board chairman Haydn Edmonds have jointly expressed opposition by all the iwi to the Crown’s proposed forced taking of Treaty rights which were in turn small compensation for the actual losses suffered under Treaty breaches by former Governments.

The iwi leaders said the government’s language of banning “commercial fishing” hides behind the attempt to strip Māori of their Treaty rights, and the sop of forced compensation is insulting. They also point to direct Ministerial confirmation to them that this is not a sustainability measure, rather a political act.

Mr Taipari, speaking for the 12 iwi of Hauraki, said the fishing park cuts right across Treaty rights. “Our Treaty settlements were hard won over many generations and this announcement by the Government flies in the face of everything we’ve fought for. We oppose our Treaty settlement fishing quota being forcibly taken from us and will do what we need to do to stop it.”

“Fisheries have always been part of our history since the beginning and we will not be giving that up for anyone. Money is no substitute for what our ancestors handed down to us. Iwi would need to be convinced that the government has considered all other options such as regulating the effects of commercial recreational operators (eg, charter boats) before getting its hands on our Treaty assets,” Mr Taipari said.

Mr Kemp said iwi have fishing rights through a Treaty Settlement with the Crown and those rights will not be diminished over time. “The Fisheries Settlement was the culmination of a long and difficult struggle to gain recognition of Māori fishing rights. The Government has to recognise that Māori fishing rights are not only customary rights but also extend to cultural and commercial rights.”

Mr Edmonds said iwi, along with recreational and commercial fishing sectors, the farming community, shipping companies and others were working with Government departments on the Sea Change Hauraki Gulf marine spatial plan project, a process to better manage the demands placed on the Hauraki Gulf.

“Iwi entered into Sea Change in good faith, understanding that they would be listened to and that their Treaty rights would be protected and upheld. Establishment of the recreational fishing park pre-empts the outcome of this process and is an example of bad faith,” Mr Edmonds said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media