Headline: Nathan Guy facing the wrath of Kiwi fishers
Nathan Guy is facing the wrath of thousands of Kiwis after bungling his Snapper quota consultation, Labour’s Fisheries spokesperson David Cunliffe said today
“By proposing drastic cuts to the recreational snapper bag limit from nine fish to three in the Bay of Plenty and north east coast this inexperienced minister is facing a huge public backlash.
“The uproar from average fishing New Zealanders has been deafening. There were 400 people at a meeting in Whakatane, 350 in Thames, and similar numbers in Tauranga and Kaikohe. That’s on top of thousands of angry emailed submissions.
“Nathan Guy has made it worse by not being straight up with the public from the beginning. On 15 June he said all options were on the table – including cuts to commercial quotas. But just a month later the consultation document came out with only options to cut the recreational bag limit.
“Kiwis can’t stand double talk. They know it is their right to catch a feed of fish for their families. Nathan Guy thinks that right only belongs to fishing companies.
“The MPI discussion document makes it clear[1] that once the recreational take has been reduced, it will enshrine ‘proportionality’ between recreational and commercial quotas, so that commercial interests benefit from the majority of future catch increases.
“This is not Nathan Guy’s first call for big business ahead of the rights of every New Zealand family. Similar disasters have occurred with southern paua, East Coast crayfish and Marlborough Sounds blue cod.
“Nathan Guy is facing a backlash from New Zealanders. He needs to act in the interests of Kiwis not companies,” said David Cunliffe.
[1] Para 14 MPI discussion document
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