Departmental Output Expense – Fisheries Policy Advice

Description

This includes the services that ensure development and review of policy and legal frameworks to enable best value from the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries resources.

Objective

• Provide and improve a conceptual framework for the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries resources.
• Participate in the development and review of international frameworks, and implement the decisions in a domestic context.
• Provide services to the Minister of Fisheries and Select Committees as required.

New Zealand fisheries policy advice provided

Explanation

This service provides advice on policy development aimed at:

• protecting the health of the aquatic environment
• enabling New Zealanders to get the best value from the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries resources
• ensuring the Crown delivers on its international obligations relating to fishing and those obligations arising from the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992
• achieving a credible fisheries management regime.

The work programme being undertaken by the Ministry’s Fisheries Policy group over the next three years covers a range of policy development activities in the following key areas:

Fisheries reform

Legislative and policy reforms to enhance the management of, and value obtained from, New Zealand fisheries, including:

1. Allocation and sector engagement
   This work area includes reforms to improve the tools for intersectoral allocation and to improve Ministry engagement with fisheries stakeholders (especially non-commercial stakeholders and the public).
2. Environmental performance
   This work area includes reforms to enhance the environmental performance of the fisheries sector, including managing the impact of fishing on the environment and at-risk species, and managing the impact of other activities on fisheries resources and habitats.
3. Adding value to fisheries sectors
   This work area deals with reforms to add value to New Zealand’s fisheries sectors, including tools to enable stakeholders to take responsible initiatives to add value and tools to ensure efficient delivery of services. Work in this area will contribute to the Government’s Sustainable Development Programme of Action and the Growth and Innovation Framework.

Fisheries outcomes and monitoring

This work area deals with establishing fisheries outcomes, and monitoring and reporting on indicators of their achievement.

Marine sector policy development

This work area is to provide a contribution to legislative and policy reforms to improve the management of New Zealand’s marine resources, including a significant contribution to the Oceans Policy. It involves leading and/or contributing to multi-departmental and whole-of-government initiatives.

Expected Results	Actual Performance
The quantity and nature of advice will be supplied on the basis agreed (as amended from time to time) between the Minister of Fisheries (the Minister) and the Chief Executive of the Ministry for 2006/07. Reporting at agreed intervals during the year will enable the Minister to assess actual performance in output delivery against those expectations.	Advice to be provided was agreed in October 2006, and some amendments agreed in March 2007.
All reports will comply with the Ministry’s quality standards for analysis and advice outlined earlier in this document.	Achieved.
The Minister will be formally requested, at agreed intervals during the year, to indicate his or her level of satisfaction with the overall quality of the outputs produced based on these standards.	Advice on proposed process for requesting feedback was provided in January and March 2007. From April 2007, all substantive Policy group briefings included a quality assessment check sheet seeking the Minister’s feedback. The feedback received is currently being analysed and the process reviewed.
Timeframes will be agreed between the Minister and the Chief Executive of the Ministry for the financial year 2006/07 (amended as necessary by agreement during the year). Advice will be delivered within the agreed and/or statutory timeframes so that Ministers have sufficient time to consider the issues and take appropriate action.	Deliverables from the following areas of the work programme were met in the period 1 July 2006- 30 June 2007: Economic transformation Deemed values Review of the use of foreign crew on fishing vessels Shared fisheries Benthic Protected Areas Cost recovery review Recreational Fishing Ministerial Advisory Committee Aquaculture Oceans Policy NZ Coastal Policy Statement Establishment of fisheries outcomes framework
	Fisheries standards Treaty Strategy Treaty settlements Foreshore and seabed negotiations Amendment to Section 10 of the Fisheries Act 1996 Ministers decisions on koura farming and non-harvestable freshwater species.
A comprehensive range of services will be provided as agreed with the Minister. These will include: policy analysis and advice, and the provision of associated legislative advice advice on the implementation of Government policy the capacity to react quickly and provide support for the Minister in Cabinet Committees, including relevant briefings on significant issues and evaluation of policy initiatives with relevance to the Government’s outcomes for fisheries management conducting consultation processes with sector stakeholders, government agencies and the public > initial promulgation of government policy, where such communication is separate from ongoing implementation oral and written briefings and preparation of speech notes.	In addition to the deliverables noted above, the Ministry also supplied advice in the following areas: Marine Protected Areas Treaty Settlements Economic transformation of primary industries Maori Purposes Bill Ministerial speech notes: Seafood Industry conference, NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen conference, NZ Recreational Fishing Council conference.

Performance requirements carried forward from 2005/06 into 2006/07.

Expected Results	Actual Performance
By 30 June 2006, identify and evaluate options to facilitate collective responsibility by stakeholders. Due to priorities in the policy work programme work is yet to commence on this deliverable. This report was assessed to be of a lower priority than other work areas including Oceans policy, intersectoral allocation reforms, advice on issues with the customary regulations framework and the cost recovery review. Accordingly, work on this report was deferred to the 2006/07 year.	This was partially delivered by the report on options to improve the allocation of shared fisheries provided to the Minister in August 2006. It was considered appropriate that no further work proceed until there has been additional experience in developing and implementing fisheries plans.
By 30 June 2006, develop a report for the Minister on the establishment of fisheries outcomes.	This report was provided on 16 October 2006.

International fisheries policy advice provided

Explanation

This service contributes to the development of bilateral, regional and multilateral frameworks for managing international fisheries, with the aim of:

• protecting the health of the aquatic environment
• enabling New Zealanders to get the best value from the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries resources
• strengthening governance arrangements for high seas fisheries
• facilitating sustainable economic growth through increased international trade.

The focus is the sustainable use of international fisheries resources through the establishment of robust management regimes. The Ministry works to promote and protect New Zealand’s fisheries interests through:

• engagement and influence in international institutions (eg the fisheries committees or working groups of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)), to improve the sustainable use of fisheries resources
• engagement and influence in regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) and arrangements to ensure the sustainable use of fisheries resources (eg the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the South Tasman Rise (STR))
• promotion of strong governance arrangements for the sustainable management of fisheries resources beyond the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone
• participation in multilateral negotiations that set trade rules and input into the development of regional and bilateral trade agreements.

Expected Results	Actual Performance
Multilateral negotiaitons, eg, FAO, UN, OECD, WTO: New Zealand objectives approved by Ministers prior to meetings. New Zealand objectives deleivered to the meeting and report probided to Ministers and appropriate Posts.	The Ministry represented New Zealand fisheries interests at a range of international meetings, including at the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006, World Trade Organization negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda on fisheries subsidies and agreement at the Food and Agriculture Organization meeting in March 2007 to develop Technical Guidelines to manage deep sea fisheries in the high seas.
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, eg CCSBT, WCPFC, CCAMLR; New Zealand negotiating position approved prior to the meetings. New Zealand's position delivered to the meeting and report provided to Minsters and appropriate Posts.	The Ministry also represented New Zealand interests in regional fisheries fora such as CCAMLR in October/November 2006, at which access to CCAMLR fisheries was secured for all notified New Zealand vessels and mechanisms to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishin in the Southern Ocean were improved.
	In addition, agreement was reached on Terms of Reference for a CCAMLR workshop on bio- regionalisation in support of the establishment of marine protected areas in CCAMLR. New Zealand attended a meeting of CCSBT in Japan in October 2006, where agreement was reached on an 11,810 tonne global Total Allowable Catch. Member states also agreed to develop particular management tools including a catch documentation scheme, vessel monitoring system, and management measures for swordfish, sharks, and mitigation of seabird bycatch. Following earlier meetings on the establishment of the South Pacific RFMO, New Zealand’s offer to host an interim Secretariat for 2007/2009 was accepted.
New Zealand membership maintained for RFMO's to ensure environmental sustainabiltiy and fisheries access for New Zealand industry. Bilateral discussions undertaken. Report prepared and provided to Ministers and appropriate Posts	New Zealand participated in all relevant RFMO meetings and Minsters approved New Zealand positions.

Ministerial services provided

Explanation

This service includes the drafting of reports and advice to Ministers and to Select and Cabinet Committees, replies to ministerial correspondence and responses to Parliamentary questions.

All government departments are required to provide services to the portfolio Minister(s) to enable them to carry out their statutory functions.

Expected Results		Actual Performance
Drafts provided that are error free
Misterial Correspondence	100%	327 draft replies provided, 21 with errors.	94%
Parliamentary questions	100%	190 Written Parliamentary Questions received. 178 draft responses provided free of error.	94%
Advice and reports to Select Committees and Cabinet Committees	100%	5 Select Committee reports, 40 Cabinet papers. 39 Cabinet papers provided free of error.	97%
Drafts that are provided on time
Minsterial correspondence	95%	327 draft replies required. 307 draft replies provided on time. 20 provided late, 12 of those late by 2 days or less.	94%
Urgent replies	100%	8 urgent draft replies requested, 7 provided on time. 1 draft provided 1 day late.	88%
Parliamentary questions	100%	190 Written Parliamentary Questions received. 188 draft responses provided on time, 2 provided late by 1 day. 12 Oral Parliamentary Questions received. All responses provided on time.	99% 100%
Advice and reports to Select Committees and Cabinet Committees	100%	5 Select Committee reports, 40 Cabinet papers. All papers provided on time.	100%