Ferry lane riles fishers

Auckland's harbourmaster is finalising a plan to separate fast ferries from recreational craft in Motuihe Channel, west of Waiheke Island, after a tragic collision in January.

John Lee-Richards, who took over as regional harbourmaster last June, is proposing a 400m-wide ferry transit lane, in the northern sector of the often-crowded channel, in which vessels will not be allowed to anchor or obstruct other craft.

But although most users of the channel between Motuihe and Motutapu Islands agree on the need to regulate passage, the Recreational Fishing Council believes the proposed lane is too wide, and that a 250m zone would give ferries sufficient berth.

A designated ferry lane has been discussed for several years but Mr Lee-Richards acknowledges the January collision gave impetus for a formal harbourmaster's instruction.

He expects to present a final document to a recreational and commercial harbour users' group on May 4.

Seven family members, including 74-year-old Gisborne grandmother Moira Newman, were injured on a fishing trip on January 4 when the chartered boat Dr Hook was struck by the Waiheke-bound Fullers Quickcat ferry.

Mrs Newman died three weeks later in hospital and police are still investigating the fatality before handing their file to the Auckland coroner. Fullers says it acted swiftly on an interim recommendation by the Maritime Safety Authority to post an extra crew member in each ferry's wheelhouse as a lookout, and welcomes the proposed new rapid transit lane.

The authority is also still examining the collision, as is the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

But recreational fishing president Keith Ingram said the southern part of the lane would infringe on some popular fishing spots and he believed 250m would give ferries plenty of room.

"We support having a lane but don't support the current width - it has to be pushed closer to the north," he told the Herald.

"The southern boundary covers a lot of fish structures, a lot of reefs and rocks and old moorings."

He said vessels were allowed under normal regulations to travel at speed as close as 50m to anchored craft, and 400m was too wide for effective and credible enforcement of the new lane.

But Mr Lee-Richards, who has navigated oil supertankers through the busy English Channel and is a keen yachtsman, is sticking to his guns.

"I consider 400m is appropriate given the difficulties of navigating through there sometimes," he said of the Motuihe Channel, which he estimates is about 1.8km wide.

He said the channel was on some fine days "wall-to-wall" with recreational craft, to the extent that passenger ferries found it difficulty negotiating their way through.
Although the new ferry lane would not be marked with buoys or lights to start with, for fear of creating more obstacles to night navigation, that would be kept under review.

His staff intended patrolling the new zone from May 4, but primarily to educate rather than punish intruders, although they had the power to issue $100 infringement notices if necessary.

"We'll just tell them to move back a bit if they get too far north of the line."

Mr Lee-Richards said he was also looking at ways of regulating passage through other congested areas, such as under the Auckland Harbour Bridge.