Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu announces new Commercial Users Permit for Te Waihora
5 March 2009
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has introduced a permit system for commercial activities on Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere.
The decision, supported by the Department of Conservation (DoC), has been made after extensive consultation with commercial fishing operators who use the Te Waihora lakebed.
"The welfare of Te Waihora has been of concern to most users of the lake for a number of years. As owners of the lakebed we have to take an active role in managing Te Waihora," says Mark Solomon, Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
The new permit system does not affect recreational users or activities.
Mark Solomon says the permit will be an authorisation to carry out commercial activities on the Ngāi Tahu-owned lakebed.
"Various stakeholders are publicly recognising that our efforts in this area are about protecting the resources of Te Waihora for future generations. For example, DoC supports the introduction of a permit system, and appreciates that the monies that are raised will go directly to lake projects and will be on top of the funds we already allocate to Te Waihora."
In the past successful relationships have been established between Ngāi Tahu and lake users, with a good example being the maimai agreement between the North Canterbury Fish and Game Council, DoC and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, which allows half of the gamebird hunting licence fee to be directed into a joint fund for enhancement projects.
The bed of Te Waihora was returned to Ngai Tahu in fee simple ownership as part of the Deed of Settlement of 1998. Since that time Ngāi Tahu, represented by the Te Waihora Management Board, has worked with DoC on a joint management plan for the lakebed and surrounding DoC administered lands.
The main focus of the plan, which was finalised in December 2005, is to restore Te Waihora as a tribal food resource, and the lake environment for the use and enjoyment of all New Zealanders now and in the future.
"All funds generated by the Commercial Users Permit will be used to administer the system and to fund enhancement projects so that we can maintain and enhance the Te Waihora environment," Mr Solomon says.
Lake restoration projects include riparian planting, enhancement of kōhanga areas, lake monitoring, research projects and enhancement of the fishery.
ENDS