The Government is considering a proposal to turn at least 30 per cent of New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone into a Marine Protected Environment, excluding all fishing.
But Prime Minister John Key is downplaying a potential vote, hinting New Zealand was like to abstain.
A delegation of Department of Conservation officials have authority to case the Government’s vote on a number of motions at a global conservation conference in Hawaii, but the Government is refusing to reveal its stance until the votes have been cast.
It’s understood the all-of-Government position was still being worked out in some areas, as late as a week or two ago.
Two motions to be voted on, have some of New Zealand’s leading fishing industry representatives afraid of a “Kermadec repeat”, where they say the Government has flouted its consultation obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Two motions in particular, are causing widespread worry among industry and iwi.
One, known as Motion 30, seeks to have all member countries vote to commit to having 30 per cent of the world’s oceans turned into dedicated “no-take” Marine Protection Areas (MPAs).
That equates to more than 1.2m square kilometeres.
It’s understood New Zealand has abstained on that vote, although it was one of the motion’s sponsors.
But another motion – Motion 53 – calls for more direct measures.
It called on Government members to “actively implement” recommendation layed out in 2014’s “Promise of Sydney”, by “committing to work towards designating and effectively implementing at least 30 per cent of their national waters as MPAs by 2030”.
The Government says all of the motions voted on at the conference are non-binding, however industry is concerned they’ll set New Zealand on a track difficult to diverge from.
Key said it was “very unlikely” the Government would vote for it.
“The reason being that with the Kermadecs, it would be very challenging for us to get to 30 per cent.”
But Key would not confirm whether the Government would vote against the motion.
“We think we’re taking our responsibility seriously when it comes to ocean sanctuaries and sustainable fisheries, but to have 30 per cent of our economic zone tied down to an ocean sanctuary would be a very big stretch for New Zealand.”
Charles Hufflett, chair of the major Nelson-based fishing group Solander, said the motions may not be legally binding, but they strongly influenced obligations set by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which were.
Regardless of New Zealand’s vote, it and a number of Pacific countries – with economies that relied heavily on highly migratory tuna species – could find 30 per cent of their EEZs closed off, Hufflett said.
Key said the Government was looking at taking further steps to create new ocean sanctuaries “like the Kermadecs”, but suggested it made no difference if any legally binding decision were made.
“Many of these things aren’t enforceable.”
New Zealand has the 5th largest EEZ in the world. Prime Minister John Key announced the establishment of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary earlier this year, closing off 15 per cent of the EEZ to fishing.
That decision is bound for the courts, with both iwi and industry claiming little to no consultation took place before the decision was announced.
It’s unclear whether motion 53 would intend a further 30 per cent to be an MPA, or whether that would include the Kermadecs.
If not, that would render nearly half of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone off limits from any commercial economic activity.
Hufflett said a meeting that occurred a couple of weeks ago between Department of Conservation officials, Foreign Affairs officials and a number of industry leaders lasted about 40 minutes.
“This is a repeat of what happened with the Kermadecs. DOC told nobody and [Seafood NZ] picked it up somewhere and asked for an urgent meeting.
“We had an urgent meeting in Wellington for 40 minutes, and the meeting did not discuss the matter it simply outlined what they’re going to do, ‘but we’re not allowed to tell you which New Zealand is going to vote, because of the [conference] processes.'”
In a letter to DOC partnerships manager Andrew Bignall, Seafood NZ, Deepwater Group, Fisheries Inshore and Te Ohu Kaimoana implored the Government not to support either motion.
“Arguments for 30 per cent no-take MPAs are arbitrary, non-scientific, speculative, and ignore opportunities for more appropriate, effective and innovative solutions to conserve biodiversity,” they said in the letter.
“We urge the New Zealand Government to be wary of such universal solutions and arbitrary targets, especially when these aspirational goals are backed neither by science nor by sound policy.”
Seafood NZ chair and Deepwater Group chief executive George Clement said it was “quite a different thing for the Government to consider closing 30 per cent of the zone to all use, for all time”.
“That actually affects our children, and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren – and there’s no good reason to do it.”
Industry fished less than 1.5 per cent of the zone a year, “so 98 per cent is untouched”.
“More than 90 per cent has never been touched, so there’s a lot of zone that is pristine,” he said.
“If we as a country were to close a lot of that off for posterity, or because it makes them feel good, then we should have an open discussion about that – but there is no open discussion.”
Department of Conservation Minister Maggie Barry confirmed DOC Director-General Lou Sanson was leading New Zealand’s delegation to the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
“Mr Sanson will be responsible for overseeing New Zealand’s vote on the non-binding motions (including Motion 53) proposed as part of the Member’s Assembly, which begins on Tuesday 6th and runs through to Saturday 10th September.
“During the course of a forum such as this the wording of motions can be subject to change and until we know what the finalised text is we will not be commenting on voting intentions.”
2016 Fairfax New Zealand Limited