Trawl fishing to be banned, new protected areas for Hauraki Gulf

From Nine To Noon, 9:05 am on 22 June 2021
Hauraki Gulf

Photo: Raewyn Peart

Trawl fishing will be largely banned and 18 new protection areas created in the Hauraki Gulf under a proposal released by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, David Parker, this morning.

The Hauraki Gulf covers an area of more than 1.2 million hectare stretching from Mangawhai in the north, to Waihi on the Coromandel Peninsula with more than 50 islands including Great Barrier and Waiheke.

David Parker says getting the sustainability of the Hauraki Gulf right could set a precedent for rest of New Zealand's waters.

He speaks with Kathryn Ryan, along with Co Chair Hauraki Gulf Forum, Nicola McDonald, and Professor of Marine Science at Auckland University and member of the Auckland Conservation Board, Andrew Jeffs, who has been working in the Gulf for 25 years.