A call to implement a 12 nautical mile commercial fisher exclusion zone around the New Zealand coastline will be a key message at a protest rally tomorrow in Auckland.
Fish Fight Aotearoa (FFA) are holding the rally in an effort to promote a number of issues they believe should be addressed by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
According to the FFA, “With current practices of overfishing, discard and the potential extinction of many inshore fish species FFA are advocating that the exclusion zone be implemented to protect the fishery and allow these species to recover.”
A video circulated on social media earlier this year showing concerned fishermen in the Manukau Bar scooping piles of undersized and discarded dead Gurnard from the ocean outraged thousands.
The creators of the video claimed the fish was dumped by a commercial operation that did not have the quota for Gurnard.
The FFA says the protest rally is the result of recreational fishers who are tired of the standard responses from MPI to the wasteful practices by commercial fishers made law by MPI.
The group will also call for the implementation of a ‘mammal reserve’ 25 nautical miles from New Plymouth to the Manukau Heads to help protect the Maui Dolphin.
The rally will begin tomorrow at 10 am at Victoria Park in Auckland.