Statement of Accounting Policies

for the year ended 30 June 2008

Reporting Entity

The Ministry of Fisheries (the Ministry) is a Government Department as defined by section 2 of the Public Finance Act 1989 and is domiciled in New Zealand. In addition, the Ministry has reported on activity undertaken on behalf of the Crown and trust monies which it administers. The primary objective of the Ministry is to provide services to the public rather than making a financial return. Accordingly, the Ministry has designated itself as a public benefit entity for the purposes of New Zealand equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS).

The financial statements of the Ministry are for the year ended 30 June 2008. The financial statements were authorised for issue by the Chief Executive of the Ministry on 16 September 2008.

Basis of Preparation

The financial statements of the Ministry have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Public Finance Act 1989, which includes the requirement to comply with New Zealand generally accepted accounting practices (NZ GAAP). These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with, and comply with, NZ IFRS as appropriate for public benefit entities.

This is the first set of financial statements prepared using NZ IFRS. The comparatives for the year ended 30 June 2007 have been restated to NZ IFRS accordingly. Reconciliations of equity for the year ended 30 June 2007 under NZ IFRS to the balances reported in the 30 June 2007 financial statements are detailed in note 24.

The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these financial statements and in preparing an opening NZ IFRS statement of financial position as at 1 July 2006 for the purposes of the transition to NZ IFRS.

The financial statements have been prepared on an historical cost basis. The financial statements are presented in New Zealand dollars and all values are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars ($000). The functional currency of the Ministry is New Zealand dollars.

New Accounting Standards and Interpretations

The following new standards, amendments to standards or interpretations have been issued but are not yet effective for the year ended 30 June 2008, and have not been applied in preparing these financial statements.

NZIAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements (revised effective from 1 January 2009).

The Ministry of Fisheries will apply this Standard from 1 July 2009. The amendments are expected to only affect the presentation of the entity’s financial statements and will not have a material financial impact.

Use of Accounting Estimates and Judgements

In preparing these financial statements the Ministry has made estimates and assumptions concerning the future. These estimates and assumptions may differ from the subsequent actual results. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.