Outcome 2: People are able to realise the best value from the sustainable and efficient use of fisheries

What are we seeking to achieve?

Enabling the current generation to obtain the best value from available fisheries resources, while recognising the need to protect the diversity and capacity of the environment and provide for the needs of future generations. Achieving best value for the current generation requires restricting fishing activities to share the available resources in a way that creates the greatest value for the nation as a whole.

How can we measure our success?

The Ministry measures success though indicators designed to:

• recognise the full range of values
• achieve best value across fishing sectors
• achieve best value within each fishing sector
• contribute to New Zealand’s economic transformation
• provide other opportunities to increase value.

Performance measures:

Fisheries plans show transparent links between management interventions and management objectives. Government interventions used are either least-cost options or are agreed to by representative stakeholder groups.

The first iteration of each fisheries plan will show links to management interventions and be based on the services required to meet the plan’s objectives. The number of links and degree of transparency will increase each time the plan is reviewed and be amended after a period of implementation.


Fisheries plans for shared fisheries have stock management and allocation strategies designed to increase value over the period of the plan, and explicitly consider non-commercial values. Preferably these strategies would be agreed by stakeholders.

All the current fisheries plans include stock management-based objectives for at least the key species within the plan. The Harvest Strategy Standard discussed earlier in this report will be a critical component of the stock management strategies.


Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are established and operating for high seas fisheries of major interest to New Zealand and allocation of access to high seas fisheries reflects, as a minimum, the level of New Zealand’s participation in those fisheries.

CCAMLR:
New Zealand successfully negotiated places for all four applications by New Zealand companies seeking access to the Ross Sea toothfish fishery for the 2008–2009 season.

WCPFC:
New Zealand successfully negotiated a higher baseline for determination of the high seas effort limit to apply to New Zealand flagged vessels in the tropical purse seine fishery. Catch limits agreed for swordfish in the South Pacific will protect New Zealand’s interests in this fishery from further increases in catch by distant water fishing nations.

CCSBT:
Under the current agreement, New Zealand’s nominal national allocation should be raised to 1000 tonnes or 6 percent of the global quota from the 2010 fishing year. The comparative allocation for 2008/09 was 420 tonnes.

Non-commercial settlement obligations are met by supporting iwi who choose to use customary management tools in areas of special significance.

The Ministry supports initiatives by iwi looking to manage areas of special significance most typically through the establishment of mātaitai. Examples include the Ngāi Tahu programme looking at a network of mātaitai and Section 186 closures covering their entire rohe.


Measures are developed to increase the annual value of aquaculture production.

In 2008/09 decisions were made to approve 3826 ha of new aquaculture space. In addition, the Ministry continues to lead implementation of government’s work programme to help aquaculture industry become a $1 billion business by 2025.


The number of New Zealand fisheries with environmental certification increases.

A Harvest Strategy Standard that specifies targets to be achieved and stock limits that must be avoided was approved in 2008/09. Hoki was initially certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2001 and recertified in 2007. Five further species are being assessed for certification.


The Crown’s obligations under the Māori aquaculture settlement are completed by 31 December 2014.

The South Island and Coromandel region settlement is expected to be completed by December 2009. The Ministry anticipates most of the remaining regions will also have progressed to an agreement for early settlement of the Crown’s aquaculture obligations by that time.

Are we making progress?

Yes, but it is important not to be complacent. Export receipts at $1.35 billion account for around 90 percent of the total revenue earned by the New Zealand fishing industry. A key to maintaining and improving this is increasing the number of stocks carrying an MSC certification and continued development of aquaculture.