Strategy for new zealand's fisheries

Managing for outcomes

Most people and organisations involved in the sector work to ensure use of our fisheries is sustainable. And most would agree that an effective management framework is needed to keep gaining best value from our use of this resource while ensuring the aquatic environment remains healthy.

The Ministry of Fisheries uses statements of desired outcomes to guide what we do. They detail what we want to achieve and how we will use incentives, management interventions and fisheries services to work towards that.

These outcome statements start wide in scope and become more specific when describing particular measures, services or activities. Results that must be produced by both fishers and managers to achieve these outcomes will be clearly defined.

The Fisheries outcome, that focuses our work, is that the value New Zealanders obtain through the sustainable use of fisheries resources and protection of the aquatic environment is maximised. In the 2006-2011 Statement of Intent, the Ministry had three contributing outcomes to support the achievement of this Fisheries outcome:

• The health of the aquatic environment is protected.
• People are able to realise the best value from the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries resources.
• Credible fisheries management.

This section outlines progress of the Ministry’s work in relation to these three contributing outcomes.