Proposed marine farming zone in Coromandel - public consultation closing soon

25 January 2011

The Ministry of Fisheries today reminded interested parties that submissions on a proposed marine farming zone in the Coromandel close on 9 February.

The Aquaculture Ministerial Advisory Panel is holding hearings at Thames, Coromandel Township and Auckland from 9 to 12 February to allow members of the public to present their submissions in person.

Those who wish to speak to their written submission at the Panel hearings are invited to let the Aquaculture Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries know by 4 February.

Advisory Panel chair Hon Sir Doug Kidd encourages stakeholders to get involved in the process. “Local knowledge, values and attitudes will be crucial to the assessment of the proposal,” he said. “Our panel looks forward to hearing from iwi, marine farmers, bach owners, boaties, environmentalists, recreational and commercial fishers and others who have an interest in this proposal.”

Under the proposal, resource consent applications for farming fish such as kingfish and häpuku would be allowed to be lodged in the proposed zone. Consent applications would still need to go through the Resource Management Act and “undue adverse effects on fishing” processes.

The Panel will report its findings on the costs and benefits of the proposal to the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture in late February. If the Minister determines that it is sensible to advance the proposal, he will consider the options available to amend the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan. The Minister is expected to make a decision on whether and how to proceed with the proposal by May 2011.

A discussion document on the proposal is available online or by emailing aquaculture@fish.govt.nz. This document provides a description of the proposed new aquaculture zone and supporting technical information.