The Dunedin City Council sent the Ministry of Primary Industries a submission yesterday opposing the proposal to open areas in Otago to commercial paua harvesters.
''It is my view the wider Dunedin community regards the paua stock around our Otago coastline as a community and cultural taonga,'' Mr Cull said.
Commercial divers would deplete the paua stock, ''as they have been elsewhere where commercial exploitation was allowed''.
Recreational divers would be ''deprived'' of paua for the financial benefit of a ''few divers''.
Commercial divers had sufficient paua stock to sustain their industry, he said.
Paua needed to be protected from commercial divers to protect Dunedin's reputation as a tourist destination, Mr Cull said.
''It would make a mockery of our city's claim as the wildlife capital of the country, if one species in the chain of marine life was seriously diminished by commercial exploitation.''
Former All Black Kees Meeuws and six fellow Paua to the People members presented ministry inshore fisheries team leader Allen Frazer petitions with about 2000 signatures opposing the proposal, in Dunedin yesterday.
Mr Frazer told the group a decision would be made next month.
Paua to the People member Lloyd McGinty said the the group would then either be throwing a party or planning its next step.
''Hopefully, we'll be having the party.''
