Licences for marine farms

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 24

Licences for marine farms

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 2. A new concept of licensing of areas of the sea, in addition to leasing, is provided in the Marine Farming Bill debated in Parliament this week.

The Minister of Marine (Mr McCready) said the bill was a consolidation, with amendments, of the Marine Farming Act, 1968, and the Rock Oyster Farming Act, 1964.

Licences will give a sole right to establish and run a marine farm, without affecting the general right of navigation or granting property rights. The Minister said that within a licensed area a licensee could apply for a prohibited anchoring area to protect submerged structure, and to ensure the safety of vessels.

In general, leases would be applicable to rock oyster farms, and licences to mussel of dredge-oyster farms, he said. '

One of the problems of the 1968 Marine Fanning Act, now being repealed, was that of establishing a registry of marine leases to the satisfaction of the Registrar-General of Lands.

“This has been overcome by the concept of licences of sea areas (sometimes not even tidal land will be involved) and a registry of leases and licences within the Marine Department,” Mr McCready said. To allow the department to establish the register, the commencement date of the act is deferred until January 1 next year. The Minister said that under the present knowledge it was unlikely that many areas could be zoned as suitable for marine farming. The bill contains power to set aside areas which will not be available, and for which applications will not be accepted.

A new clause had been drafted as a result of detailed negotiations after submissions to the Lands and Agriculture Committee by representatives of mining and petroleum exploration companies, he said. Many companies already held prospecting licences which could conflict with marine farming interests, or might wish to obtain such licences in the future. The clause provides that nothing in the bill will restrict the operation of the several acts relating to prospecting and mining or the rights conferred by those acts.

The holders of existing or future mining interests, however, may not carry out operations in any leased or licensed area in breach of any conditions imposed by the Minister of Mines with the concurrence of the Minister of Marine.

Each party could submit its evidence, on the one hand for the need for prospecting or

mining in a leased area and on the other for the protection of structures, fish, or marine vegetation being fanned, said the Minister.

“It should be possible to reach a reasonable compromise depending on the relative importance of the.tWo requirements,” he said. "X Mr S. A. Whitehead (Lab., Nelson) said his party would not oppose the bill, but asked if there was provision for the controlling authority to instruct licence-holders to do something about unsightly areas. Buildings and fences were sometimes unsightly. Mr McCready, in reply, said that the Minister of Marine was empowered to.. take action against offences of this nature.

In reply to questions from Mr M. Rata (Lab., Northern Maori), he said no provision had been made for the fanning of marine animals. Fanning would not be allowed in a polluted area, he said.

The bill was given its second reading.