Fisheries 2030

New Zealand’s fisheries management is amongst the world’s best: we have sustainable fisheries, an internationally competitive commercial fishing sector, a high quality amateur fishery, and we have resolved fisheries and aquaculture Treaty claims. However there is further significant potential and value that could be unlocked.

The fisheries sector can make an increasingly valuable contribution to New Zealand’s economy, whether that seafood is cultured or captured wild, through innovation and efficiency improvements and by enhancing experiences for amateur and customary fishers and non-extractive users.

To realise our aspirations for New Zealand’s fisheries we need to have a common understanding of what we are trying to achieve and how we intend to get there. During the year under review, the Ministry of Fisheries has developed, with targeted input from tangata whenua and stakeholders,Fisheries 2030: a strategic direction and goal for the New Zealand fisheries sector that provides greater clarity and certainty to all who enjoy and derive value from New Zealand’s fisheries resources.



Fisheries 2030’s goal for fisheries management to 2030 is: New Zealanders maximising benefits from the use of fisheries resources within environmental limits.

To enable New Zealanders to use fisheries resources in a manner that provides the greatest overall economic, social, and cultural benefit, the capacity and integrity of the aquatic environment, habitats and species must be sustained at levels that provide for the range of different uses, now and in the future.

To support this goal and describe the more specific results desired for the use of fisheries and the aquatic environment, we have two outcome statements and governance conditions that are important to underpin the achievement of the outcomes.

Fisheries 2030 draws on a number of values and principles. These seek to outline the behaviour and approach that should be used to undertake the actions, make decisions, and achieve the goal for New Zealand fisheries.

To achieve our aspirations for fisheries management in New Zealand, a five-year action plan has been developed. That plan is based on the broad suite of actions identified in Fisheries 2030 and will help to drive further improvements in fisheries management in the short to medium term.

This work commenced in 2008 and late that year we engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to provide an independent review with input from a wide range of stakeholders. Fisheries 2030 was endorsed by Cabinet on 31 August 2009. We will continue to engage and work with tangata whenua and with stakeholders on further developing the initiatives and reforms in the action plan, and on collaborative projects addressing matters including improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of services. Focused and effective engagement will ensure good progress is made towards maximising benefits from New Zealand’s fisheries and ensuring a healthy marine environment.