Troubled Gulf waters

It's profit versus pleasure as farmers and boaties square off over prime spotsin the Hauraki Gulf. ROBIN BAILEY reports.

The battle lines are being drawn for a clash between recreational boating and marine farming in the Hauraki Gulf.

Putting the boaties' case is the Auckland Yacht & Boating Association (AYBA). Complementing that effort is Great Barrier Island resident Tony Bouzaid, who is spearheading a fierce campaign to save his patch.

AYBA chairman Warwick Lee is calling on the Auckland Regional Council to go ahead with a plan change to create a designated area for marine farming.

With Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) president Geoff Thorpe, he attended a forum on marine farming in Wellington last month hosted by the New Zealand Aquaculture Council (NZAC).

Lee says three important points emerged from that session:

* The NZAC wholeheartedly supports a process of plan changes being initiated by regional councils to identify and zone acceptable marine farming areas. This process would give the industry certainty for the future and overcome the need for recreational organisations to fight marine farming on an application-by-application basis with all the costs that entails.

* The NZAC, or at least key members of it, support the concept of coastal tendering even though this creates some problems. This appears to be an initiative that YNZ as a national body could lobby the Government for.

* The NZACs vision for 2020 is for the area devoted to marine farming to increase from the present 4000ha to 17,000ha. Of concern is that there could at present be applications for marine farming at various stages of the resource consent process totalling 24,000ha.

"Obviously someone has to take an overview of where all these applications are heading and balance the industry's approved applications against its sustainable needs," says Lee.

He says the AYBA is keeping a close eye on applications to the ARC for marine farms in the Firth of Thames covering about 4000ha. As well, applications have been lodged for nine marine farm sites around Mercury Island and three in Mercury Bay. These 12 applications have not yet been notified.

The chairman's letter to AYBA members lists plans for fundraising to cover resource consent hearings and points out that should any Environment Court appeals need to be undertaken, a considerable war chest will be required.

Bouzaid, who has been going to the Barrier since childhood and has lived there the past nine years, is adamant that a major conflict is arising between commercial and recreational users of our coastline. His Fitzroy Protection Society has been at the forefront of the battle, and the defenders first clash will be over the bid for a mussel farm at Storm Bay, on the eastern side of Kaikoura Island.

Submissions closed with the ARC on Thursday. Of 215 received, 214 were against the proposal, and 26 of the submitters asked to be heard when the application is considered from November 15.

Bouzaid believes the fight for Port Fitzroy will determine the outcome of the battle to save the Hauraki Gulf's unspoiled cruising grounds and sheltered waterways.

"If we lose this round we have lost the war," he says.

"Over the past 10 years, marine farming has grown at an unprecedented rate, spurred by the high prices for green-lipped mussels in particular.

"Our problem is that the very conditions that make our harbours so attractive to boaters - sheltered, all-weather anchorages - make them ripe for aquaculture.

"Storm Bay is one of the most sheltered anchorages in the harbour in strong west or nor'-west winds.

"Today's technology means people are venturing further afield in relatively small craft. When the weather turns nasty they need to seek shelter.

"Marine farming will reduce access to anchorages; swinging room at anchor will be reduced; navigation round the harbour, especially at night and in bad weather, will be compromised; and the capacity of the bay for boats at peak times will be reduced."

Bouzaid says action is needed now to ensure Port Fitzroy does not become full of mussel rafts, ugly buoys, flashing lights and noisy harvesters.

"It has happened already in the South Island. Don't let it happen here."

Save Fitzroy