Recreational fishers worried about snapper stocks are invited to voice their concerns to Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell.
The Ministry of Primary Industries issued a discussion paper to try and conserve fish in the Snapper 1 area which spanned east Northland, the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty, which bordersthe Waiariki electorate. The Ministry proposal is to place responsibility for this on the public of New Zealand, not the commercial sector.
"There has been great interest across the rohe [territory], in the debate around the overall catch limits, bag limits and allowable size of fish," Mr Flavell said.
"As tangata whenua we share the concerns held by both recreational and customary users that the last thing we need is for this vital resource to be threatened by commercial interests.
"The concept of rahui [temporary moratoriums] to known spawning areas is well known in traditional Maori custom, and there is a strong case for restricting fishing in inshore areas to line and hook only, requiring commercial trawling to take place only outside fixed boundaries beyond the safe reach of smaller recreational craft.
"What we all need to focus on is how to balance the needs and rights of everyone in the fishing industry, to ensure we are all on the same playing field."
