Providing
for people's wellbeing
There are few
fisheries that are sufficiently abundant to provide for
people’s current needs nor are they in good shape
to hand on to our next generation of New Zealanders.
Excluding people from their coastal food-basket by allowing
fisheries to deplete or confiscating areas for marine reserves
does not constitute sustainable management.
Many people in
isolated regions rely on the sea for food and their wellbeing.
Generally there are no supermarkets nearby or high wages
to depend on.
All New Zealanders have a common law right to fish to provide
for their needs.
This right is
particularly valuable because of our easy access to the
sea and temperate climate.
These factors
contribute to the popularity of fishing whether as a pastime,
a food-gathering exercise or a cultural experience.
