Ban fear for top Auckland fishing areas

Tawharanui. Photo/ Richard Robins

Some of Auckland's most popular fishing spots - including the bay beside Prime Minister John Key's Omaha holiday home - have been tagged for future marine protection areas.

The areas are in a map in the environment section of the draft Auckland Plan and have prompted fears of bans on fishing in the Hauraki Gulf, which gained its fifth marine reserve last month, at Tawharanui.

However, Auckland Council regional strategy manager Ree Anderson said rings drawn around the fishing spots in the draft plan were marked "indicative marine protection areas".

They were part of an exercise of looking 30 years ahead and to generate discussion about the future investigation of some form of protection.

However, Forest & Bird conservation manager Dr Mark Bellingham said the flagged areas were inadequate to protect important marine and bird life and should be reviewed every five years.

Local boards said they were not consulted, and called for the map to be pulled from the plan.

The "indicative" areas include:

The west coast from Manukau Heads to Muriwai - a habitat of the critically endangered Maui's dolphin.

The inner Hauraki Gulf - around southern Waiheke and Ponui Islands, north of Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands and around Tiritiri-Matangi Island, the end of Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and off Leigh and Kawau Island.

In its submission on the draft, the Rodney Local Board said marine protected areas had a broad definition that might include bans on types of fishing.

The Hibiscus Coast and Bays Local Board submission said areas east of Gulf Harbour could not be supported.

"Fishing activities stimulate the economy of Gulf Harbour and a lot of small boats appreciate being able to fish safely close to the shore," said board chairwoman Julia Parfitt.

Rodney's representative on the council, Penny Webster, said: " I think recreational fishing people will riot, because fishing is not only a lifestyle but for some it's a way of feeding their families."

The former Act MP and Rodney Mayor said people saw the draft plan as "the thin edge of the wedge to tie up the whole Hauraki Gulf."

Mrs Webster said the Auckland Plan must be the product of public consultation and marine protection areas had not been discussed for some years.

Ms Anderson said the draft plan was "an idea only. There is nothing in the plan that says you can't fish".

The Ministry of Fisheries estimates that 250,000 people in the Auckland region go fishing.