Government undermines regional powers to protect coastal biodiversity - EDS

The Environmental Defence Society opposes the Government’s decision to press ahead with amendments to the Resource Management Act that severely curtail the ability of regional councils to manage the impacts of fishing on coastal marine biodiversity.

EDS says the changes effectively mean that regional councils will have to jump through onerous procedural hoops, secure the concurrence of the Ministry for Primary Industries, and wait until the full plan process has concluded before any controls on fishing that seek to maintain indigenous biodiversity can take effect.