Kermadec sanctuary talks continue

NEW ZEALAND – Te Ohu Kaimoana executives have gone to parliament for another attempt at talks on the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary.

The organisation representing Maori fishing rights in New Zealand called a halt to talks with the crown last week after months of negotiations resulted in a stalemate, with neither party budging on a Treaty right which allows Maori to fish in the Kermadec zone.

Prime Minister John Key has said the government still had the numbers to pass the necessary legislation for the creation of a Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary but would delay the bill’s passage until a solution was found.

The new consultation is taking place between between Te Ohu Kaimoana and the Maori Party after Prime Minister John Key asked the government support the party to help find a way forward.

“We’ve been very clear about what our position is,” said Te Ohu Kaimoana Chairman Jamie Tuuta, who is leading the talks. “We’ll see what the Maori Party have to discuss with us today and we’ll go from there.”

At the weekend, Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox expressed confidence the party could find a way forward.

But that would include the government acknowledging the Treaty right inside the ocean sanctuary, something Environment Minister Nick Smith has said would undermine the sanctuary’s integrity.

The Maori Party is under pressure to walk away from the government but Fox said it would be the party membership that decided.

“If our people tell us to walk, if our membership tell us to walk, we will be guided by then but let’s not jump the gun.”

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said the Maori Party was advocating strong views.

There had not been as much consultation as Te Ohu Kaimoana wanted, and the government would be “going back over the ground with the Maori Party to make sure everyone understands each other’s objectives,” he said.

The sanctuary was announced a year ago by Key at the United Nations.

English said the circumstances meant the government proceeded a bit differently than it usually did, and that had helped create a situation where it didn’t get agreement of all parties concerned.

“I think if you did it again you might do it a bit differently,” he said.

The disagreements might in principle look difficult to resolve but he was confident there would be a way through.

“In practice, we have found in New Zealand solutions to reasonably challenging issues to do with Maori interests and there’s no reason why we can’t in this case.”

In the foreshore and seabed debate, deep issues of principle had been involved and the government had found a way through. “And in this case I’m sure there can be a way through.” - PNC sources