More than 500 vehicles, many of them towing boats, have crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge today in a protest against aspects of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act and other proposed fishing reforms.
The One Ocean protest saw attendees drive a nearly 30km route through the City of Sails from Albany to Tāmaki Dr in Mission Bay.
Legislation which came into effect last month extended two existing marine reserves and established five seafloor protection zones where the bottom of the ocean can't be significantly disturbed.
Twelve high-protection areas were also created by the bill, where a range of activities, including most commercial and recreational fishing, were prohibited. However, commercial ring net fishing operators were granted exclusive use of two of these areas in a late-stage amendment.
Co-organiser Ben Chissell said the protest was not against commercial fishing, but his position was that if the Hauraki Gulf was so badly depleted that areas needed to be shut off, then no one should fish them.
New law triples size of protected areas, expands marine reserves, and introduces high-protection zones to help restore life to the struggling Gulf. (Source: 1News)
Protesters began gathering at Albany Park and Ride from 7am before joining State Highway 1 via the Oteha Valley Road on-ramp at 9am. The convoy will cross the Harbour Bridge, exit towards the port, then travel along Stanley Street to Tāmaki Drive.
From there, the route continued through Kohimarama Road and Kepa Road before looping back to Tāmaki Drive and dispersing onto the motorways.
Among the supporters of the protest was celebrity fisher Matt Watson, who described the carve-out as "blatantly unfair" for the public and for the marine environment.
"That is not fair, and I'm proud that Kiwis are getting together and going to protest," he said in a post to Facebook.
Police said they were monitoring the protest from Albany to Mission Bay and back, and warned motorists to expect congestion. They said more than 500 vehicles, many of them towing boats, took part.
"Police, and Auckland Transport Operations Centre, are monitoring the protest activity and its impact on traffic across surrounding areas to ensure the safety of all participants and the wider public.
"Congestion can be expected, and members of the public may experience some delays, so we encourage people to plan ahead and allow extra time.
"While police recognise the right to lawful protest, our focus is to ensure the safety of all and to minimise traffic disruption as much as possible."
An NZTA spokesperson said the protest could lead to congestion across the motorway network.
"NZTA and AT will be closely monitoring the impact on the city’s network through our joint Auckland Traffic Operations Centre and will notify the public of any significant disruption through our usual channels, including the AT Mobile app and NZTA website Journey Planner."
SHARE ME