Just for those who don’t think there are enough conservation stories…
…I thought I’d highlight that the Ministry of Fisheries is considering temporarily closing the Kermadec Islands to longline fishing to prevent more seabed deaths, after 51 Antipodean Albatross were caught by one vessel on one expedition. We should all be urging the Minister to go through with this proposal, and to introduce further regulations, as it’s clearly been demonstrated that voluntary industry measures aren’t enough to solve the problem of by-catch. Here’s what Metiria had to say, and Forest and Bird.
You’ll be pleased to know I resisted the urge to re-use the horrible picture.
Bookmark to:
November 29th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
Pleased to see these sorts of issues hitting the radar. particularly in light of the international context of the recent report predicting world fisheries collapse by 2048, keep it up. it would be good to see more debate and conversation on this stuff.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6108414.stm
November 29th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Get stuck in Frog, it is this type of issue that interests me in Green party politics.
I will admit to a selfish interest, I am a keen recreational fisherman (catch and release most of the time) and as such I have no time for commercial fisherman at all.
November 30th, 2006 at 5:41 am
If we can manage our fisheries in a sustainable manner, that will mean that the NZ economic zone will be, relatively speaking, teeming with fish when, in a couple of decades, fish populations have crashed elsewhere.
So, I suspect poaching will be really big business, and we will need a major coastguard to fight off pirate factory ships.
November 30th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Environmental Orgs and government need to work with industry to help them fix their problems rather than working against them. It’s a shame when everyone jumps on the blame commercial fisherman bandwagon and the issues don’t get solved.
Primary industry is the bulk of our economy and we need to remember that. I know people who work in the commercial fishing industry and it’s no secret that they are portrayed as the worst kind of scum by media and politicians. No doubt much of this bad reputation is deserved, but we need to be progressive and realistic about the solutions, and some people in Fish and Game, DOC, Greenpeace and the government are doing little to help these problems, and it seems their main interest is to keep pushing the bad guys around to earn votes/public support, that is the sad problem with democracy I guess.
November 30th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
i think if you look a little deeper you’ll see that ngo’s, govt and commercial and rec fishers are trying their best to work together on a whole variety of issues.
Progressive and realistic is great, but when we sell ourselves as a country with a sustainable fishery when there are high levels of bycatch and high-grading is a common practice, we need to think about just how ‘realistic’ we’re being.
December 2nd, 2006 at 7:54 pm
frog..
why aren’t the greens banging on about the (shameful) fact 85% of the environmental vandalism that is deep-sea trawling in the southern pacific is done by fishing boats from..new zealand..?
isn’t this something we/the greens should be campaigning to stop..?
i know it’s bad news about the albatrosses….but much worse is done every day..under the water..where ‘govt. observors’ can’t see/show it..
but they do know it is going on..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 2nd, 2006 at 9:12 pm
phil
Admitting that might embarrass the Government, I cannot see the Greens wanting to do that.
But you are 100% correct, this issue is something the Greens should be raising in the house and I for one would be fully supportive.
December 3rd, 2006 at 5:16 pm
phil - good point!
December 5th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Hey guys. It’s good to point out issues that the Greens should be active on - but how about a quick search of the Green website before you get stuck in eh? Metiria’s been onto this one for a while.
Cheers,
frog
December 5th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
while we have your attention frog..
metiria and cannabis reform..?
went to the site..
couldn’t find a lot..
just what has she been doing with that portfolio..?
cos’ out here..all we have heard is a resounding silence…
eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 5th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
Happy to oblige, Phil. Metiria’s bill to allow medicinal cannabis was pulled from the ballot earlier this year. She has recently deferred its 1st reading following a petition supporting the bill to allow for more consideration of the issues.
Cheers,
frog
December 5th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
yes frog…that press release was all i could find too..
is that it..?
and why hasn’t she been working the public/media/nine-to-noon..
this medical cannabis bill resonates with far more than just dope smokers..
(i mean..the british minister of health fast-tracked ’sativex’ cos’ it relieves suffering….and people were suffering….and therefor it was cruel to with old this relief from their pain from them…)
now..that is one hell of a powerful message..a powerful lever on clark/prohibitionists/waverers..why is that lever not being used..?
why hasn’t metiria been shouting those same imperatives from the rooftops..?
they apply here as much as there..eh..?
and btw..if any of you have had the horror of watching loved ones die in pain because the morphine just isn’t working anymore..
keep in mind they need not have suffered..heroin is four times as effective a painkiller than is morphine..(c.f…dictionary of poisons/antidotes)..
it is that same hysterical/irrational prohibitionist ethos that caused your loved ones that pain and suffering..
it has been so long….and we have travelled such a small distance..eh..?..
if at all…
these are the messages the greens/metiria should be pushing..
yet it seems metirias’ heart just ‘isn’t in it’..eh..?
one press release just dosen’t ‘cut it’..eh..?
and only 3000 signatures on that petition..?
that petition i and most others haven’t even heard of ..’till now..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 5th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Oh right Phil.
On your planet Greens can call up 9 to Noon and book themselves slots to preach about their latest projects. That’s how it works.
Please stop with this dreadfully arrogant posting. Frog showed just how little you actually pay attention to what the Greens do. Twice.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
so..taranaki…
instead of just an ad hominem..how about showing me where my reading is wrong..
metiria has done sfa with the cannabis portfolio..
the greens have done a terrible job selling (any!) messages…
the greens have done a lousy(compromised) job as an opposition party..and as the defenders of the environment..
you are too blo*dy close to labour…!.
and you just give them an ongoing free ride/bus pass…
and as far the green messages..it’s been section 59 all year..then a cop-out/textbook compromise at the end of that..
that and a (slightly-re-heated) solar energy program..
i mean..!..please show me/tell me what else has happened..!
the greens are adrift/off-message/unfocused..
and are you telling me whoever does the greens media couldn’t sell a medical marijuana/relieving terminal pain debate to the national radio producers..?..or anyone..?
did they even try..?…
or is the greens media strategy more a passive sorta thing…?
press releases..and that’s about it..?
and on pot..just one of them…?
i repeat..answer my criticisms taranaki..
prove me wrong..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 6th, 2006 at 1:39 am
Hey phil:
I hope you’ve taken a deep breath and calmed down after that last post!
With all the best will in the world the Greens can’t make the media report on what they are saying, or make them print their press releases.
For example, I’d guess that recently, the goings on over Rugby Stadia, and the knife sharpening in the National Party over its leadership, took all the attention away from anything the Greens could have done to publicise issues.
eredwen
December 6th, 2006 at 6:16 am
eredwen..we are talking since the last election….
the greens have been invisible..(i mean..show me where/how i am incorrect in that call..?..)
what have they campaigned about again..?
if others see that recent history as being ok…….(and a ‘carry on as usual’ the appropriate response..)
well ok….
all i can do is point this stuff out…
btw eredwen..i was quite calm when i wrote that….
and the issues i’ve raised can be just brushed aside..
if you think that’s ok..?
(and btw eredwen…i say these things because i want the grren party to do well at the next election….and i am concerned they just plan to ‘coast on their poll rating’..and won’t be ready..policy-wise..again..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 6th, 2006 at 10:41 am
phil:
I share your desire to see the Greens do well in the next election.
The Green MPs (and their staff) are very hard working and articulate. I think they are an impressive lot! They do a good job looking for appropriate publicity, and Jeanette in particular is becoming (has become) the totally acceptable face of expertise on Climate Change etc. I notice that she is invited to interviews more frequently … and (surprise surprise) she is very “mainstream” looking and behaving!
We cannot control the judgement of the Media (so dependent on advertising and ratings etc) and we cannot control the ignorant “throw away remarks” about Nandor, Sue, Keith … but we are making inroads into the population, and voters cast their individual votes (in private) one person at a time.
I can only speak about our local Banks Peninsula / Christchurch Greens and we are an organised lot working towards the next goal!
December 6th, 2006 at 10:50 am
To follow on from above:
… Banks Peninsula Greens are currently selling Raffle Tickets (and we talk to the people we sell them to … )
First Prize a Solar Electric photovoltaic power supply for your home!
Second prize a bicycle … etc
… now THESE are good talking point for friendly Green sellers to the general public …
December 6th, 2006 at 11:10 am
eredwen….why don’t you move up here to sodom…?
the ak greens need you…
phil(whoar.co.nz)..
and nobody is questioning the sincerities/abilities of the players..
it is the selling of the message that is the problem…
December 6th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Thanks phil.
It isn’t me!
(Remember that we are the late “Rod’s Mob” here, and although he is a hard act to follow we have some very able people doing so.)
My message to frogblog readers is that “selling the message” works well at any level … including (or perhaps “especially”) the grass roots level.
An example: For this weekend another lot of small native trees will be potted … to be given free to each kid who comes to any Green event … Each child (no matter how young) carefully choses the species that would fit into their garden at home … for that child to be responsible for … to grow into a tree to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The kids are rapt(!) and their parents delighted at this. THAT is a very STRONG Green message. (I watched while two little kids spent over half an hour seriously and carefully choosing their trees without any adult interference.)
Another very strong message is patience and tolerance and acceptance of differences and the sense of that we are all in this mess together, (and that we are each responsible for it) and must do our bit no matter how small.