Professional Skipper - Free Sample issue (July/Aug 2011)

sentiments regarding our resource – we protect it, care for it and ensure sustainability. David taught me this. A couple of years back I viewed a DVD made in Nelson about the international fishing vessels which come into our waters pillaging. I recall it highlighted the poor conditions aboard some of these vessels. I remember getting pissed off with nowhere to go with it. After reading your article, I'm keen to support the snowy head fella here in Motueka you mentioned! I am alarmed about your claim that Maori tautoko (support) such atrocities. If you are accurate I say this is wrong and tautoko your korero that iwi adopt a responsible approach. I believe Maori quota should be utilised to regenerate a sustainable future for our people with aroha, manaaki and tiaki. These assertions mentioned in your article are against the natural practice of our ancestors' love, care and sustainability. I will endeavour to research these assertions so I may form a proactive strategy to address these issues. To bring some balance to this article, I find it very interesting that Maori are highlighted in full neon as the main perpetrator, when as you say they are only 40 percent of the problem. What about the other 60 percent? I hope you have previously highlighted my people in your articles for all the positives brought to the table. Know this: when you write Maori you write Maihi. Initially, I was upset with the attack on my people and me, but I am a guardian of Tangaroa, so I needed to hear your korero so I can act appropriately for the sustainablilty of our taonga, tangaroa and all those involved. I remind us all and those capitalists of an important Maori proverb, "He aha te mea nui o tenei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!" What is the most important thing in this world? It is people, it is people, it is people! Thanks for the wake-up call. Maihi Barber, Motueka Kia ora I like your comments about the foreign fishing boats fishing for all the Maori quota. The problem is with Aotearoa Fisheries convincing our people they can make more money by giving it to them and getting the FCV to fish our fish. Problem two is that we do not see this money and our young people cannot get work, and problem three is we cannot get our own boats and fish for this quota because these foreigners will work for nothing and AFL does not want to pay. I say if we can't catch the fish ourselves, better we leave it in the water, because we are not seeing the money either. Keep talking up a storm, bro, because there are a lot of us who agree with you, and until you name and shame these Maori in flash jobs who control our fish, we will not see the benefits for our young people. D Milner, Northland Dear Sir You are right on the nail with your editorial in the May/June issue, as usual, in particular with your comments on greedy iwi who have been given 40 percent of quota on the basis of "we were here first''. They have been given the power and responsibility to ensure our fishery is not raped and plundered and to create employment and wealth for all, not a few fat cats at the top. Where are the traditional Maori principles of conservation and management that are so readily trotted out? I think it's just another case of leaving the fox to guard the henhouse. Also right on the money was the letter Spiritual Significance by Mark Roden. I remember the first time I dived the Waikoropupu Springs in 1960, and as I didn't have a Landrover but a 1958 Humber 80 it was a bit of a walk to a mostly weed-covered VIP.S82

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