Marine Action Showcase alignment with new Government policy.
Participants connect in early 2021 at Morra hall, Oneroa ~ Waiheke Island
WMP Future Search Marine Action Showcase and alignment with new Government policy and actions regarding oceans. On the 26th June the Government adopted an Ocean vision and the summary of this vision and comments of the Minister are significant because they align so well with the goals of the Waiheke Marine Project, whose actions to date were so ably presented during the Marine Action webinar on 20th June.
The Government vision is: Ensuring the long-term health and resilience of ocean and coastal ecosystems, including the goals of fisheries. In his presentation to the 2021 Forest and Bird conference Minister Parker dug a bit deeper into the Government’s motives for creating a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries rather than what we have always just had, a Ministry of Fisheries. It will focus on ecosystems as a whole. He outlined the values of the oceans to us in Aotearoa, especially mentioning the value to tangata whenua. He, also, said that the challenges facing the oceans are complex and interconnected and we need to take a comprehensive approach in dealing with them. In terms of actions he foreshadowed the interagency nature of the new Oceans Secretariat and significant reforms to the fisheries system which will be required to deliver the oceans vision.
When we look at the six goals of the WMP we can clearly see that nationally and locally we are singing from the same songbook. During the Marine Action Showcase webinar, a wide range of presentations addressed these six action drivers or goals 1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership 2. A whole system focus 3. Collaborative practice 4. Common ground (what we can all agree on) 5. Local Application of all Knowledge (Matauranga maori, citizen science and western science) 6. SelfManagement (we are all responsible and are in this together).
Our webinar bought multiple voices together in what are doing, or could offer or could bring about in the near and medium future for the regeneration of Tikapa Moana. Some of these voices were off island organisations, but who offer both supportive actions and funding possibilities to Waiheke moana based actions e.g. Sustainable Seas, WWF, Million Metre Streams. Some of these oganisations are already, via funding‘, on the ground’. e.g, Million metres is funding the regeneration planting of the Hekerua Valley wetland led by the local care group. There were presentations from local people, representing volunteer groups who have been inspired by the Future Search hui and the nine commitments to both educate and motivate their neighbourhood. These actions are in the early stages but offer huge input into the WMP SelfManagement, Common Ground and Collaborative Practice WMP goals. The actions already happening in the marine education space were very impressive as outlined by e.g.a student, Ella, from the Waiheke High School Sustainability Group. They and the WRT Marine Education Initiative (working in association with the Sustainable Schools programme) are moving from knowledge development into actions to improve the moana. Actions that address Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership, whole system focus and application of all knowledge are well advanced.
Presentations outlined the establishment of a rahui in relation to shellfish and koura and lobbying in relation to ‘extraction pollution governance’. The rahui which has applied for a 186 Temporary Closure notice is inclusive of iwi, locals and agencies and is moving ahead in the korero between mana whenua and the MPI compliance team plus the Minister.
Other direct action underway or in the data collection phase were presented and included a summary of the Kelp Gardeners Project and the Koura survey by Waiheke divers. The latter may be a first phase of a project leading to the rewilding of koura on our koura depleted motu coastline. A presentation about the need for fisheries legislative and process reform e.g. the Quota Management system and the lobbying and public education already happening in this space seems to tie in nicely with the Government’s oceans policy. This is very important for Tikapa moana where destructive fishing practices and overfishing have been a big contribution to moana health decline. The WMP wants a whole system approach and it is exciting that this is happening locally and now nationally