Barrier Protest Jul 2005

This article was originally published in the Barrier Bulletin July 2005

Report on hikoi protesting against the DoC attitude and process for imposing no take forever marine reserve on the tangata whenua of Aotea

“Public Rally from Claris airport to oppose the Aotea Marine Reserve, this Saturday 16 July.”  That had been the invitation from tangata whenua who had called for island residents to come together for a hikoi in protest against the Department of Conservation. 75 people participated in the public demonstration of opposition against the marine reserve announcement. Mostly island residents and twice as many Pakeha as Maori had turned out.

After marching from the airfield to a paddock adjacent to the Claris commercial centre a kilometre away, a number of speakers stepped forward. Placards and banners had been prepared, reading: "Labour government stabs community in the back", "DOC consultation a joke", "Are we a democracy or is it SIEG HEIL, Comrade Minister?", "The reserve steals treaty rights", "Q: What does a Marine Reserve preserve? A: Bottom trawling"

Taiaha (Rodney) Ngawaka from Katherine Bay in the north of the island thanked participants for coming out and showing their support on such a wet and windy day. He welcomed several trustees of the Ngati Wai trust board that had managed to take off from Whangarei in a small aircraft, while other visitors including a camera team from television remained blocked at Auckland airport due to fog.

"Since the 16th of July we have been maintaining a protest occupation, and are camped on the Department of Conservation farm in Okiwi. This followed the minister’s announcement of a 49,500ha marine reserve in our waters terminating our customary rights and our children’s access to a huge part of the waters of Aotea Great Barrier Island.”

The first speaker presented by Mr Ngawaka, was Larry Baldcock, MP. He pledged the continued support of the United Future party to stop this and further marine reserves being imposed by the Department of Conservation against the wishes of residents and the wider public. "The drive for marine reserves is just crazy." he said. "We stopped the marine reserve bill from proceeding this year and will continue to do so."

Larry Baldcock said that "decisions about protecting marine resources should be made by the people who are affected, not unilaterally by the Department of Conservation."

Scott Macindoe from the non-commercial fishers group option4 also declared their support. "We left tangata whenua unsupported when the government forced through the seabed and foreshore issue. But now we have a much better understanding of what is behind this and we are ready to stand with you."

"There are forces at work in our government which are out of control," another speaker added. "They are preventing us from providing seafood for our children."

"It is great to see pakeha standing here beside Maori."

"We have always been ready to discuss appropriate possibilities with the government," explained Grant Mabey, a land owner from Okiwi, adjacent to the proposed reserve site. "When this idea first appeared, the community had offered an area for scientific study, which is after all the alleged purpose of this area. But this was not taken up."

"The conservation value of marine reserves remains questionable. Other areas are much more important if it is a question of protecting fish breeding potential. In fact, Auckland water pollution should be stopped before reserves are talked about. That would protect worm beds that are crucial feeding grounds for fish."

"Now we are told that the government has signed an international agreement to protect 10% of the coastline in no-take reserves. That may be the best thing to do in some countries, but the government has no mandate to agree to this on behalf of the people of New Zealand."

"The marine reserves strategy is, I believe, resource acquisition by the government for its own purposes - that is all it is."

"And the marine reserve will prevent us ever from rebuilding sustainable livelihoods for responsible fishing by excluding a massive portion of fishing grounds critical in the weather limiting winter months."

Graham Humphries was speaking on behalf of the Hale family whose farmland lies on the shore of the proposed reserve. "Our family has for 9 generations been fishing for our meals in this area. It is not easy to get out there since often wind and weather prevents us. And we are limited to 2 hours either side of the tide to get across the bar. So going somewhere else is not really an option."

"We want a marine reserve, but not like this."

For Lynette Hoey from Motairehe Marae, the reserve was the last straw. "Only recently the Department of Conservation purchased Kaikoura Island on the other side of Great Barrier involving an outlay of over 10 million dollars. Where is the tangata whenua in the partnership? And if the department can work together with another non-governmental organisation there, why does the department refuse to discuss a partnership with tangata whenua for co-management of the marine reserve?"

Wim Frieswijk, representing a well-established local farming family stressed that this situation was not only about marine reserves but about property rights in general. "Here on this island it has become a criminal offence to cut down scrub. If we don’t have the right to cut down Ti tree, are we expected to just sit in our cold homes?"

Ben Sanderson, the farmer on whose land the rally had collected also stepped forward to express his support: "Good on you. It is great to stand together on this issue, because we have to speak out about this injustice."

This standing together was very symbolic for Scott Macindoe who came forward a second time. "Not since the Springbok Tour have Maori and Pakeha stood side by side like this and that is an important message in itself. And if we look forward, then we can continue to stand alongside each other. We have tools like rahui and mataitai to consider as better alternatives for marine resource management. We can learn from each other and this is the opportunity for that. We all want the same thing and that is more fish in the water."

Alvis Reti and Allan Moore followed with similar support for the protest. The same issues were arising in Mimiwhangata, the crowd was told, where the Department of Conservation was set on imposing a reserve.

"It needs to be a partnership. We have been putting forward ideas to achieve the same objectives but also manage our own customary rights to everybody’s satisfaction."

Trustee of the Ngati Wai Trust Board Himiona Munroe preceded his comments by reminding rally supporters that this gathering was not about militancy but about communicating an important message to the government.

"It is wrong that conservation should be imposed on us like that. It is us, the Ngati Wai, who are the traditional guardians of our waters. What is happening is a major catastrophe for the tangata whenua, the island community and the wider public."

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