Te Waihora is worth looking after

Green Party Conservation and Fisheries Spokesperson Metiria Turei has welcomed Ngai Tahu exercising their responsibility for protecting Te Waihora Lake.

“As the kaitiaki of Te Waihora, Ngai Tahu have a responsibility to look after it. This is a lake which has suffered from years of pollution and drainage - it is great to see that Ngai Tahu are taking steps to protect and restore the lake, especially its eel population.”

Ngai Tahu currently pays around $140,000 a year on environmental restoration of Te Waihora and they have set up the Commercial Users Permit System to share the costs of looking after the lake with those who make money from it.

“The eel fishery is clearly dependent on the lake’s sensitive ecosystem being looked after, so it is only right that the commercial eelers make a contribution to its protection. The eelers are only being asked to contribute $29,000 of the $140,000 that Ngai Tahu spend annually on the lake – this seems more than fair.

“We have huge problems in this country with pollution of our rivers and lakes. People and landowners across the motu need to follow the example of Ngai Tahu in looking after Te Waihora and put systems in place to restore and protect our precious environment.

“The Greens have long called for the return of resource rentals so that those who make a profit from natural resources contribute to the cost of their impact on the environment. The Minister of Fisheries needs to work with iwi and bring back resource rentals for commercial fishing and water use,” said Mrs Turei.