Maori Fishing Co Voices Shared Fisheries Concerns

MEDIA RELEASE
2 February 2007

Maori Fishing Company Voices Shared Fisheries Concerns

The country’s leading Maori commercial fisheries company, Aotearoa Fisheries Limited, said it intends to play an active role in consultation over the Government’s proposed “shared fisheries” policy.

“We have had serious concerns with the increasing number of threats that have the potential to undermine hard earned property rights secured by Maori through the Treaty settlement process,” AFL chairman Rob McLeod said. “The Government’s so-called shared fisheries proposal to reduce the commercial catch and re-allocate it to the recreational sector is a threat to secured property rights that are both the foundation of sound management under the QMS and the main part of the Fisheries Settlement.”

The Government’s proposals are likely to have serious implications for the future of AFL and Iwi inshore commercial fishing interests. The proposal introduces considerable uncertainty about the amount of quota that will be available to the commercial sector. This uncertainty itself will reduce the value of AFL and reduce the value of the Maori stake in fisheries generally.

Mr McLeod said AFL managers would participate in a hui next week arranged by Te Ohu Kaimoana to outline to Maori the implications of the proposed policy. “All iwi have a direct beneficial interest in Aotearoa Fisheries and therefore need to be aware of the effects of this policy on their investment and the future financial security of the company.”

AFL would also actively participate in the Ministry of Fisheries’ Shared Fishery consultation process to ensure Treaty legacy assets were protected.

“I have met no-one in the industry who likes this policy. The commercial fishing industry supports more than 26,000 people and is the fourth largest industry contributing to New Zealand’s economic well-being. All Kiwis need to understand fully what is at stake from the Government’s proposals,” Mr McLeod said.

Scientific research each year determines the amount of quota for a particular fish species. One of the biggest gaps in this scientific information relates to the impacts and trends of recreational fishing. Filling this information gap is the next obvious priority for Government. “I am a keen recreational fisher myself but I can see that taking Maori quota that is reported to the nearest kilogram and dropping it into the information black hole of recreational fishing is not a step forward” said Mr McLeod.

ENDS

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