Green plan to save fisheries

WELLINGTON - The Green Party released its conservation policy yesterday, proposing to turn a fifth of New Zealand's 200-mile exclusive economic zone into marine reserves.

Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the move would enhance conservation of fisheries and would also lead to more and bigger fish being available for commercial catches.

"Wherever marine reserves have been created in New Zealand there has been a dramatic increase in the size and number of fish," she said.

Other key features of the policy include:

* The Greens would argue for a "progressive and substantial" increase in conservation funding over the next three years.

* They would increase spending on pest control to help farmers and to save native birds.

* Aerial poisoning of pests would be replaced by job-creating schemes such as bait stations.

* Timberlands West Coast would be required to stop logging native forests immediately and its forests would be taken over by the Department of Conservation.

* Some national parks would be increased in size and new marine parks would be created.

* Laws would be changed to cut to "near zero" the number of marine mammals and birds killed by fishing boats.

* Steps would be taken to bring native birds back into towns and cities.

* Environmental studies would be included in the core school curriculum. - NZPA