The Port Chalmers Fishermen’s Co-operative has withdrawn any support from the proposed Otago Harbour fishing reserve (mataitai), saying the decision to include the whole harbour has been “lost in translation”. A member of the co-operative was involved in discussions with community stakeholders over widening the reserve to include the whole harbour.
President Steve Little told that it appears something was lost in translation because we do not support a mataitai covering the entire harbour. It is said that initially, the reserve area was to be for a smaller area in front of the Otakou marae, but a decision was reached to include the whole harbour, with several exclusion areas for port activities.
According to Steve Little the co-operative, which represents 26 commercial fishermen from Timaru to Bluff, believes a mataitai is not in the best interest of the whole harbour. He told that the cooperative support a sustainable fishery. Little informed that despite no commercial fishing activities taking place in Otago Harbour for “30 or 40 years”.
It is told that the co-operative supported commercial fishing of cockles from the harbour. Southern Clams, which is represented in the co-operative, had applied to the Ministry of Fisheries for a special permit to investigate cockle harvesting in the harbour. According to Little that application may be in jeopardy because a reserve excludes commercial fishing from its area, although it can be permitted.
