Call to help crayfishing firm ‘stuck on a beach’ by quake

A rock lobster lobby group has waded into the wrangle between environment and industry as a crayfishing company remains ‘‘stuck on a beach’’ since the Kaiko¯ ura earthquake.

Burkhart Fisheries has been unable to get its main boat in the water since the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in 2016 lifted the seabed up to 3 metres in parts at Ward Beach, in south Marlborough.

The crayfishing company’s application to form a ‘‘paper road’’ to a new launch site further up the coast was declined last year, and now the Environment Court has banned the company from dragging its boats along the beach to the launch site using bulldozers.

New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council chief executive Mark Edwards said the Government had helped many companies get back on their feet post-quake, but left Burkhart Fisheries in the lurch.

‘‘Burkhart Fisheries has not had access to the place they have fished for the previous 40 years,’’ Edwards said.

‘‘The company has expended a lot of resources, tried all available legal avenues, and provided all sorts of information to try to resolve this.

‘‘I would like to see the Government help get a resolution to this, to find a way for them to launch.’’

Forest & Bird called for Marlborough District Council to step in when the company started using bulldozers on the beach in December, saying it risked harm to threatened bird species nesting on the beach.

The council filed for an injunction order with the Environment Court, which was issued under the Resource Management Act.

The company was told the injunction could be amended if the council approved an ecological management plan, which it did in February, but Environment Court Judge John Hassan would not amend the order.

Burkhart Fisheries managing director Dennis Burkhart said Hassan’s decision was ‘‘frustrating’’. ‘‘We continue to look for other permanent solutions to quake-impacted Ward Beach and will work with any party willing to assist.’’

‘‘The longer this goes on, the more risk it poses to the 30 jobs we are trying to retain in our community.’’

A Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment spokesman said the ministry would not comment on the latest decision.

The post-quake business support programme ended when the highway reopened in December, he said.

The Ministry for Primary Industries was approached for comment.