Strong opposition to a proposal to open areas to commercial paua harvesting in Otago-Southland was voiced at a recent meeting at Portobello.
Tomahawk Smaills Beach Care Trust president Sally Dicey said about 40 people attended the meeting, held at the Portobello community hall on Thursday night.
She also attended the gathering, and Dr Tim Ritchie, Lloyd McGinty and Rhys Bartlett, all involved with the recently-formed Paua to the People group, had spoken out about moves by the Ministry for Primary Industries to open areas of the coastline, including on the Otago Peninsula and at the Clutha River mouth.
Ms Dicey said the Tomahawk Smaills trust also opposed this, and there was clearly strong community opposition, given concerns voiced at two recent public meetings in Dunedin.
The ministry had provided no scientific evidence that areas now used only for recreational and customary fishing could be sustainably managed by the commercial industry, she said.
Otago Peninsula Community Board member Hoani Langsbury said he had been unable to attend the meeting, but shared community concerns.
Current arrangements benefited both recreational and customary fishers as well as the commercial paua industry, by maintaining paua stocks and providing a stable source of future generations of paua.
Written submissions to the ministry on the proposals close on April 19.john.gibb@odt.co.nz
