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Oil exploration and drilling continues despite heavy objection.
Shell is the latest company
to be granted permission to drill for gas
in the Great South Basin, west of Invercargill.
Towards the end of last year
thousands protested against Anadarko's oil exploration
and drilling off the coast of Raglan,
affecting the wider Taranaki region.
I spoke to someone who knows firsthand the benefit of protesting,
who supports all those actively opposing deep sea oil exploration.
It's only right to protest
and voice our objection against those
who want to extract our assets.
A ship has yet to anchor in your tribal shores,
yet one has done so in the wider Taranaki region,
what are your thoughts on that?
It's sad and my heart goes out to the people of Taranaki
because they were with us when we protested against Petrobras,
along with the Police and Navy.
My thoughts are with everyone from Taranaki at this time,
no matter their race.
They're all objecting to the fact
that there is no longterm benefit in any of this.
So are you saying Te Whanau a Apanui are dead set against
deep sea oil exploration and drilling?
If anyone comes into our territory
with those intentions
then they will hear the wrath of my people.
The ocean extends from the top to the bottom of our entire region.
It's our food source.
It's our livelihood.
Our local families use the sea everyday to gather their food
and to sustain their livelihoods.
We also use it for our guests
as we don't buy our food from the shops,
instead we go down to our beaches to collect food for our guests.
Those have always been our customs
and for us it's important to feed our guests.
That sure is important!
Exactly!
Especially as we go through this Christmas-New Year season.
No doubt our tables will be filled with creamed paua,
kina, crayfish and all sorts to nourish our families.
To summarise,
what do you and your family
have planned these holidays?
We're going to relax with family back at home.
No doubt we'll soak up the sun down on the beaches
in Onepoto, Hicks Bay, Whangaparaoa and Raukokore.
We'll be eating the very best of our home produce,
all the while bathing in the beauty of our environment.
I hope that everyone else will be doing the same
around the country as well.
That was Rob Ruha of Te Whanau a Apanui.