Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 June 2000

• Our Vision
• Chief Executive's Overview
• Key Achievements
• 1999/2000 Financial Performance
• References

Ministry of Fisheries
Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2000

"Sustainable fisheries in a healthy aquatic ecosystem"

Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to Section 39 of the Public Finance Act, 1989

Minister of Fisheries

Pursuant to Section 39 of the Public Finance Act 1989, I have the honour to present to you my Annual Report on the operations of the Ministry of Fisheries for the year ended 30 June 2000.

W R Tuck
Chief Executive
Ministry of Fisheries

Our Vision

The Ministry's vision for fisheries to the year 2010 includes:

• the Crown working with Maori to achieve sustainable fisheries;
• a healthy aquatic ecosystem in which fishing contributes to the social, economic and cultural well-being of New Zealanders and their communities, without limiting options for future generations and, in particular:
• customary Maori fisheries contributing to the cultural health and well-being of iwi and hapu;
• high quality recreational fisheries contributing to the social and economic well-being of the nation;
• an internationally competitive fishing industry making a significant contribution to our economy;
• people with rights to harvest fisheries having responsibility, and being held accountable, for the management of those rights, within environmental limits and standards set by Government;
• fisheries stakeholders recognising and respecting each other's rights, responsibilities and interests, and constructively resolving issues among themselves;
• public support for the way fisheries are managed;
• voluntary compliance with the fisheries laws that underpin sustainable fisheries.

Chief Executive's Overview

The 1999/00 financial year was the fifth year of a stand-alone Ministry of Fisheries in New Zealand. It has been another very successful year.

Key achievements are detailed later in this report. I would particularly like to highlight here the contribution of our people and others, the improved legislative framework, our evolving organisational capability, Maori fisheries rights, and of course our stewardship of New Zealand's fish stocks.

The contribution of Ministry staff and others

Central to our success has been our people's commitment to fisheries and marine risk management. To every member of staff I say thank you for your contribution.

I also want to acknowledge the important role of many people outside the Ministry. For although the Ministry has a leadership role in the fisheries sector, our success would not have been possible without the involvement of the following:

• our colleagues from other government departments and in particular the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Defence Forces;
• our 321 honorary fishery officers - people who do not always receive the full recognition that is due to them;
• the nine Kai Arahi and Liaison Officers employed by various iwi around the country;
• tangata whenua;
• our various stakeholders from the commercial, environmental, marine biosecurity and recreational sectors.

Our improved legislative framework

Enactment of the 1999 and 2000 amendments to the Fisheries Act 1996 during the year are of significance to the Ministry and New Zealand's world-class fisheries management regime. Amendments were necessary because without them, the 1996 Fisheries Act would have been expensive to implement, inflexible to manage and may have led to poor fisheries management and environmental outcomes.

Now with an appropriate legislative framework in place, our focus over the next three years will be:

• our ongoing fisheries management and marine biosecurity responsibilities;
• making the 1996 Act fully operational;
• working with other departments in the development of an oceans policy for New Zealand;
• reviewing the legislative frameworks for marine recreational fishing and aquaculture.

At the same time the Ministry's key priorities will be:

• a greater environmental focus for marine management;
• a greater involvement for tangata whenua and stakeholders in fisheries management; and
• improving our organisational capability.

Our evolving organisational capability

It is also important that we are properly resourced to discharge our responsibilities in a way that is consistent with the changing external environment.

Accordingly, the Ministry initiated an organisational design analysis during the year with the following aims:

• adopting a more integrated approach to fisheries management;
• ensuring that we can respond proactively and responsibly to Ministers' requirements;
• meeting tangata whenua and stakeholder expectations for involvement and participation in our fisheries management and other processes.

We expect this work to be finalised during the second half of 2000, while the implementation of an agreed design will take us into 2001 and possibly beyond.

Integrating Maori fisheries rights

In terms of "Closing the Gaps", the Ministry continues to focus on integrating Maori fisheries rights into the overall rights-based fisheries management framework.

Consistent with this, we have put in place appropriate strategies to build the capabilities of both tangata whenua and the Ministry itself. Progress during the year is commented on later.

Managing fish stocks

More than 150 fish and shellfish species are taken commercially in New Zealand. Of these species about one third are managed within the Quota Management System (QMS).

The QMS is a key tool in achieving sustainable resource utilitisation. For species such as rock lobster, hoki, orange roughy and snapper that make up about two-thirds of New Zealand's commercial fisheries by weight and value, the stock status relative to the stock size that will support the maximum sustainable yield is known.

For these fisheries 80% of the fish stocks are above, at, or near the size that will support the maximum sustainable yield. Rebuilding strategies are in place for the remaining 20 % of fish stocks. Having said this, orange roughy was identified during the year as a species for which stock status is uncertain and of concern in many areas.

Concluding remarks

Finally, I would like to thank the Minister of Fisheries, the Hon Pete Hodgson and the Minister for Biosecurity, the Hon Marian Hobbs for their support since early December, as well as the Hon John Luxton, our Minister for the preceding three years.

Warwick Tuck
Chief Executive