Recreational fishing lobbyist sacked over 'offensive' newsletter

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

The Government has sacked a member of a marine protection forum over an 'offensive' newsletter detailing the history of New Zealand's fishing regulations.

Nelson Cross, a retired engineer from Balclutha, poked fun at a number of groups in the newsletter, but in particular Maori, claiming they exterminated and ate the original inhabitants of New Zealand before discovering 'KFC and the TAB and the joys of sedentary living while on a benefit' once Europeans arrived.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner sacked Cross from the Crown appointed South East Marine Protection Forum on Monday, describing the newsletter as 'inappropriate and offensive' and warning it could harm relations with local iwi.

Cross, an advocate for recreational fishers, said he wrote and distributed the article about six years ago, but ran into trouble when a newsletter he sent out on November 10 repeating it began circulating within fishing circles.

He admitted 'in retrospect' that it could be insensitive to Maori, and has apologised if anyone was offended, but claims when he showed it to his Maori friends 'they laughed'.

The letter may have been used as an excuse to sack him.

'[I]t would seem if they can't get rid of me one way they will find another!,' Cross said in an email to contacts on Tuesday evening.

The newsletter claims Maori arrived in New Zealand after getting lost.

'They had been to a pissup on a neighbouring island (probably Hawaii) and had got lost on the way home. Throwing their 'navigator' overboard in a fit of pique hadn't helped and when they arrived they were, to put it mildly, somewhat out of sorts and of a belligerent disposition,' Cross wrote.

'This regrettably led to the immediate extermination and in many cases consumption of the previous inhabitants.'

Early contact with European settlers (who Cross described as 'mainly drunkards, womanisers, layabouts, escaped convicts and ratbags of the first order') was described as as largely 'harmonious' before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

'As KFC hadn't arrived yet and the Maoris had eaten all the Moas feeding the family at times was a bit of a problem,' Cross wrote.

'Seal burgers and 'ratonastick' didn't cut the mustard although the fishing was pretty good and apart from a few 'punch-up's' which were sorted afterwards over a few beers all was harmonious and lovely.'

Cross' newsletter claimed problems started after some 'white fullas' realised there was money to be made from commercial fishing.

'By now the Maoris had discovered KFC and the TAB and the joys of sedentary living while on a benefit and could see all the $ the commercial 'fullas' were making,' he wrote.

'Here they [Maori] said, 'that there is our fish. We were here first (mumble apart from one or two others mumble'). 'Give us our share so we can lease it out to foreigners and not have to go to work and still get the benefit. Youse white buggers owe it to us cos it sez so in te tiriti'.'

The South East Marine Protection Forum was created by the Government to recommend marine protection areas between Timaru and Waipapa Point, the southwest end of the Catlins.

Cross was appointed to represent recreational fishers.

However Guy and Wagner dismissed him with immediate effect.

'We believe it is unacceptable for a Government-endorsed member of the South-East Marine Protection Forum to be circulating offensive material in this manner,' the pair wrote.

'The statements made in your email newsletter have undermined your ability to fulfil your role as a forum member. Further, it risks compromising the forum's ability to engage effectively with tangata whenua and the public at large,' the ministers wrote.

On Wednesday, Cross said he was 'pretty disappointed' especially given that the passage was six years old.

'To bring it up now that I included it in a private newsletter…was a bit strange,' he said.

'There's no disrespect meant to anyone whatsoever, and I'm just sorry that some people have taken it that way'.

Cross said since the problems arose he had only been given support, including a 'standing ovation' at a meeting of the Owaka Fishing Club on Tuesday night.

'Obviously I had been doing a good job. Perhaps I had been doing it too well and that's why they decided to get rid of me,' Cross said.

He believed the Government would have done 'due diligence' before he was appointed and would therefore have been aware of the newsletter, which was circulated 'widely'.

'In retrospect I can see why they would have felt a bit of PC [politically correct] disquiet,' Cross said.

'Okay, in retrospect I admit that it probably went a bit over the top but at that stage it was a stereotype caricature of different people,' Cross said.

'I have many Maori friends. I ran it by them and they laughed. Okay, it turned out to be a hanging offence, but they didn't think it was.'

The episode would not stop him from advocating on behalf of recreational fishers.

'I've spent 25 years working for recreational fishing. I feel strongly about it.'

It was not the first time he had 'spoken out, and it won't be the last.'