National winks to Opportunity promising to review bottom trawling and create new Waiheke reserve
The New Zealand National Party has pledged to establish a new marine reserve off Waiheke Island and review bottom trawling practices if elected. The policy aims to balance environmental protection with the economic interests of the fishing and boating industries.
Why it matters
This policy proposal highlights the ongoing tension between environmental conservation and commercial fishing interests in New Zealand politics.
The National Party is promising to establish a new marine reserve off Waiheke Island and to expand an existing reserve off Goat Island if elected.
The new Hākaimangō-Matiatia Marine Reserve will protect 23.5sq km off Waiheke Island.
And, demonstrating some common ground with the Opportunity Party, National has promised to review bottom trawling “with an aim to increase protections from 32% to 50% of our EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone] by 2040″, according to the party’s policy document.
Opportunity has called for “an immediate end to bottom trawling in our most damaged inshore areas (like the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana), before phasing out the practice in stages” as one of its bottom lines.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in