This section was added on 28 January 2021 as an amendment to the original petition addressed to the Waiheke Collective and Department of Conservation.

We, the signatories of this petition, are hereby registering with you our opposition to the plan of members of Ngati Paoa of Waiheke Island to gain, from the Ministry of Primary Industries, legal approval of a rahui applying to Waiheke Island.

The basis of our opposition is that there appears to be no marine science research to justify an island-wide ban which their meeting stated was the iwi goal. The speed (two days) and restricted distribution of invitations to attend the only public meeting on 21 January make the claim of support from the community a farce. A rahui focussing on shellfish and crayfish only is also a farce as in the meeting it was clear the ultimate goal is fin fish as well. In addition, although the Fisheries Act 1996 allows for a rahui we believe the grounds for this are undemocratic, serving the interests of a minority only and of a scope and extent guaranteed to alienate the majority. We elect governments to decide these issues, not segregated groups with closed membership.

Signatories to this petition are not against science-based forms of marine protection, such as no-take marine reserves, which take into account the needs of all. The proposal for a rahui does not meet this standard.

Original petition 2020:

The Waiheke Collective's Marine Project aims to increase marine protection around Waiheke Island. This Iwi led project ran a 3 day conference in late October which recommended the introduction of 'Ahu Moana' as a conservation tool for our island. 

Please sign this petition to oppose Ahu Moana because:

1. Ahu Moana is anti-democracy. It envisages governance of a marine management zone being split 50/50 between local iwi and the local community. Your citizen vote will be outweighed by unelected representatives and decisions affecting your right to coast access may be made by an unelected few.

2. Ahu Moana was described by the Collective  in the Waiheke Weekender of 27 August 2020 as a 100 metre management zone around the entire Waiheke Coast. It was described as a 1 km wide management zone in the Sea Change Spatial Plan in 2017. In  either case this is not based on good marine science. There are better options, such as no-take marine reserves, which do not meet a political agenda.

Signing this petition will not demonstrate that you are against increased marine conservation around Waiheke. It will demonstrate that you are against the political nature of this specific proposal. We, the residents and visitors to Waiheke need to ensure that this message is conveyed clearly to the conference attendees.