Fishermen concerned at control given to Maoris

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 15

Fishermen concerned at control given to Maoris

PA Napier Hawke’s Bay amateur fishermen say they are having urgent talks on surprise moves to give > Maori tribal authorities in Hawke’s Bay policing control over amateur fishing. It was revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was giving ] policing control to tribal i authorities. I A Hawke’s Bay Game I Fishing Club spokesman, , Mr Tony Hill, said the

first he had heard of the move was when he was approached by the ‘‘Daily Telegraph.” "It is a bit of a surprise. We have heard nothing about the MAFFish move.” Mr Hill said he was so concerned about the development that he planned to discuss the matter with members of the New Zealand Recreation Fishing Council in Auckland. Ministry officials see

! the move as the first step ; towards creating a partr nership with Maori people. Napier’s senior fishery > officer, Mr Sam McGeorge, said some tribal authorities had al1 ready been given warrants to issue licences for the collecting of kai (food) for hui and tangi. "Those warrants will now be extended to policing rights over amateur fishermen,” he said.

Mr McGeorge also said there was a great deal of concern among tribal authorities about the state of New Zealand’s fisheries. Te Whanau O Rongomaiwahine Trust wrote to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Moyle, last year because it was worried about the amount of fish being taken out of Hawke’s Bay waters illegally. The trust’s area covers Mahanga in the north to the Nuhaka River mouth.