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Five Year Strategic Plan Archive
Five Year Strategic Plan 1998-2003
5 Year Strategic Plan 1998-2003 page 2

Five Year Strategic Plan

  • Foreword from the Chief Executive
  • Setting the scene
  • Future position of the Ministry
  • Implementing the plan
  • Strategic resources
  • People
  • External relationships
  • Information
  • Financial resources
  • Planning and evaluation
  • Appendix 1 - Fisheries goals and milestones
  • Appendix 2 - Glossary

Foreword from the Chief Executive

The Ministry of Fisheries was established in 1995 as a stand-alone agency. It has the statutory responsibility of ensuring that New Zealand's fisheries are managed in a way that is consistent with both the Crown's responsibilities and obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and international law and that the fisheries resource is efficiently utilised in a sustainable way.

Since the establishment of the Ministry in 1995, we have been developing a strategic direction for both the fishery and the Ministry. The strategic intent for the fishery was set out in Changing Course - Towards Fisheries 2010, which was released in September 1996.

This document is not a Strategic Plan for managing New Zealand's fisheries. It is a Plan to guide the way the Ministry will contribute to managing the fisheries. It sets out the strategic direction of the Ministry and has been developed against the background of:

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four Strategic Result Areas identified by government;

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recent government decisions on the future direction of the management of our commercial fisheries; and

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the current review of the Fisheries Act 1996 with the aim of simplifying its operation, encouraging efficient resource use in the sector and reducing compliance costs.

It identifies the role of government in ensuring that our fisheries resource is utilised sustainably and describes the way in which the Ministry must operate, as well as the skills and values we must develop, to meet our obligations to government. The Plan also sets out those matters we have identified as critical to developing our key resources - our people, their external relationships and information.

It provides our direction for the next five years and will be a reference point for all in the Ministry to determine how we are to perform our functions. It will also allow stakeholders to know the way in which we intend to develop and why.

This Plan is particularly important given that the role of the Ministry in fisheries management will continue to change. In particular, the Ministry will become smaller as rights-holders increasingly exercise the management responsibilities arising from their rights. But because the extent and the speed with which rights-holders will take up these responsibilities is not known, we cannot at present be more precise about the future size and shape of the Ministry.

I am very excited by our Strategic Plan and am looking forward to working with Ministry staff and stakeholders as we move towards 2010 to achieve our vision for the fishery.

Warwick Tuck
Chief Executive

Setting the Scene

The fisheries sector

New Zealand's fisheries are one of our most valuable natural and renewable resources, capable of yielding significant cultural, social, and economic benefits.

Maori cultural ties with fisheries are strong and their customary fishing rights are recognised in law. Fishing is also a popular leisure activity for at least one in five New Zealanders. Recreational fishers generate considerable economic benefits to New Zealand.

Our seafood industry employs just over 10,000 people and sustainably harvests approximately 650,000 tonnes from wild fisheries and aquaculture each year. The value of this harvest ranges between $1.1 to $1.5 billion per year. Our fisheries are also appreciated for reasons that have nothing to do with their value as a food source. New Zealanders, on the whole, cherish the fact that our coastal and inland waters are home to an abundant variety of aquatic life.

However, as the world now knows, fisheries are a limited resource. Most people accept that if we want future generations to use and enjoy our fisheries, we need to manage them responsibly. This management needs to focus not just on fisheries, but on the aquatic ecosystems of which they are a part.

New Zealand has made huge advances in managing its fisheries on a sustainable basis over the last 20 years.

In 1978, New Zealand declared its exclusive economic zone, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This zone, at approximately 1.3 million square miles, is 15 times the size of the New Zealand land-mass and is one of the largest in the world. The declaration gave New Zealand responsibility for sustainably managing a very large fishery and the authority to address any over-exploitation of our waters by foreign nations at the time.

In 1986 we introduced a radically new and highly successful system for managing in a sustainable way the commercial harvest of the limited fisheries resource - the Quota Management System (QMS). The QMS not only limits commercial catches to sustainable levels, but also enables our industry to stay internationally competitive.

It also contributes to improving the quality of non-commercial fishing by preventing depletion of fish stocks.

The QMS was also used by the Crown as the basis for settling long-standing Maori fisheries claims. In 1989 the Maori Fisheries Act provided for the establishment of the Maori Fisheries Commission and transferred 10% of all species in the QMS to the Commission until a method of allocation and distribution was determined. In 1992, as part of the claims settlement process, the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992 was enacted. This Act obliges the Crown to:

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involve tangata whenua in fisheries management decisions;

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recognise Maori customary fishing rights and management practices; and

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allocate 20% of new commercial quota to Maori when further species are brought into the QMS.

The next step in developing the management of our fisheries was in 1996 when the Fisheries Act was passed. The Act focuses the government on its core role of ensuring that fishing is sustainable and provides for more explicit environmental principles and standards.

Yet there remain considerable challenges to achieving sustainable utilisation of fisheries. These include:

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ensuring that fishing continues to contribute to the social, economic and cultural well-being of New Zealanders and their communities, without limiting options for future generations;

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better specifying and integrating all of the rights associated with use of the resource;

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determining the ways in which rights-holders will exercise the management responsibilities arising from their rights, the duties required of them in exercising those rights, and the related accountability mechanisms; and

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defining the respective roles of the Ministry and our stakeholders as we move into the next century.

Government strategy for fisheries

The government has established strategic priorities for the New Zealand public service, known as Strategic Result Areas (SRAs). The Ministry of Fisheries contributes to the following four Strategic Result Areas: protecting and enhancing the environment; Treaty of Waitangi; enterprise and innovation; and external linkages.

Protecting and enhancing the environment through policies which:

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are based on the principle of sustainable management of natural and physical resources;

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integrate environmental, economic and social considerations;

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have regard to regional and global environmental impacts; and

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impose least costs on the economy and environment.

Treaty of Waitangi which involves significant progress towards negotiating and implementing fair and affordable settlements to well-founded grievances arising under the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and consistent with the Crown as Treaty partner, development of policies that lead towards closing the economic and social gaps between Maori and non-Maori.

Enterprise and innovation which involves reinforcing a successful enterprise economy through policies that:

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encourage businesses to develop a stronger capacity to adapt successfully to changing conditions in international and domestic markets;

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work and innovation, and promote knowledge and learning in enterprises;

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maintain and enhance more competitive markets with an efficient flow of goods, services and capital; and

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promote the efficient use of resources in the economy.

External linkages by enhancing New Zealand's international influence and position as a successful and secure trading nation by:

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strengthening economic linkages with international markets and countries;

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constructive involvement in the international community; and

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promoting New Zealand's overall security.

Intent for fisheries

The Ministry took the initial step towards defining its contribution to the Strategic Result Areas associated with managing fisheries by developing its strategic framework document Changing Course - Towards Fisheries 2010. This detailed future trends and management principles and was released in September 1996.

Changing Course identified four themes that influence the Ministry:

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the need to manage fish in the context of their environment; that is, a management approach based on the ecosystem;

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the need for government, in collaboration with fisheries stakeholders, to set clear long-term goals for the management of fisheries and have an agreed understanding of how to achieve these goals;

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the importance of effective management of our fisheries to our community and how success depends on the involvement, co-operation and support of those with an interest in the fishery; and

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the contribution of sustainable fisheries to economic growth by providing the basis for an internationally competitive industry.

Changing Course noted that an overriding goal - a strategic intent for New Zealand fisheries - is required in order to provide for the economic, social and cultural well-being of today's generation, but without limiting the options for future generations.

That strategic intent will guide all our decisions about the future management of New Zealand's fisheries. We have defined the strategic intent for the management of New Zealand fisheries as being to achieve:

Sustainable fisheries in a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

Vision for fisheries

Based on the strategic intent, the Ministry's vision for fisheries to the year 2010 includes:

 

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the Crown working with Maori to achieve sustainable fisheries;

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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 that contribute to the cultural health and well-being of iwi and hapu;
- high quality recreational fisheries that contribute to the social and economic well-being of the nation; and
- an internationally competitive fishing industry that makes a significant contribution to our economy;

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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;

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fisheries stakeholders recognising and respecting each other's rights, responsibilities and interests, and constructively resolving issues among themselves;

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public support for the way fisheries are managed; and

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voluntary compliance with the laws that underpin sustainable fisheries.

Table of Governments Strategic Objectives.

 

The Ministry's role

The primary role of the government in fisheries management is to provide for the utilisation of fisheries resources while ensuring their sustainability. As the principal government agency in fisheries management, the Ministry collaborates with other government agencies in advising on and implementing government policy in the following areas of core responsibility: ensuring ecological sustainability; meeting Treaty of Waitangi and international obligations; enabling efficient resource use; and ensuring the integrity of management systems.

Ensuring ecological sustainability

This core responsibility includes the following functions:

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specifying environmental goals and standards related to the use of fisheries and the impact of fishing on the aquatic ecosystem;

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approving sustainability plans for fisheries;

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setting sustainability measures, such as total allowable catches, and size limits; and

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monitoring the health of fisheries and the aquatic ecosystem.

Meeting Treaty of Waitangi and international obligations

This core responsibility includes the following functions:

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involving Maori in fisheries management decision-making;

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delivering 20% of new quota to Maori;

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providing for and protecting customary fishing rights;

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recognising use and management practices of Maori;

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promoting and protecting New Zealand's fishing interests during the negotiation of international agreements; and

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ensuring management frameworks are consistent with international agreements ratified by New Zealand.

Enabling efficient resource use

This core responsibility includes the following functions:

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defining and allocating harvesting rights; and

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providing the frameworks to allow owners of harvesting rights to manage those rights.

Ensuring the integrity of management systems

This core responsibility includes the following functions:

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setting standards and specifications for services such as research and administration;

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monitoring and auditing the delivery of services;

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managing fisheries and aquatic ecosystem information; and

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delivering criminal law enforcement and prosecution services.

It is clear that not all the services required by government to discharge its core responsibilities need to be provided or purchased by the Ministry. However, for those services purchased or delivered by fisheries rights holders, the Ministry's responsibility is to ensure that they are delivered to minimum standards. This will require the Ministry to establish standards and specifications, and monitoring and auditing procedures.

Services that are currently the responsibility of the Ministry, but which in the future need not be, include:

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research services (apart from the collection of sensitive primary research data that are subject to bias and for which the costs of reducing the risk of bias would be prohibitive);

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administration services, such as quota trading, catch reporting, management of marine farm registers and vessel registration;

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non-criminal compliance services, such as fisheries education; and

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the collection and payment of Crown revenue; for example, the collection of cost recovery levies.

The fisheries sector is one in which there will always be a role for government but it is important to continually examine the most appropriate form of that role.

The role of the Ministry in fisheries management will continue to change as holders of fisheries rights increasingly provide non-core services such as those listed above. In particular, the Ministry of the future will be smaller than it is now. But at present, because the extent and speed with which these responsibilities will be delivered by others is not known, we cannot be more precise about our future size and shape.

In addition, we must continue to address the need for the Ministry to be providing all of the inputs required for the delivery of our services.

The Ministry's goals for fisheries

The major goals (or Key Result Areas) for the Ministry of Fisheries are designed to ensure that the Ministry contributes to the government Strategic Result Areas relevant to fisheries. They are set out below.

Goal 1

To take leadership in developing an understanding shared by all fisheries stakeholders on the means to achieve sustainable fisheries in a healthy aquatic ecosystem

Common understanding of how to achieve sustainable fisheries means specifying medium to long-term management goals and strategies for particular fisheries, as well as monitoring and reporting on the achievement of these goals.

Specifying the goals and strategies for particular fisheries must take into account the interests of fisheries stakeholders.

Goal 2

To develop a framework and manage processes that ensure the Crown delivers on its Article 2 obligations to Maori with respect to fisheries

Delivering on the Crown's Article 2 obligations to Maori means:

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developing appropriate approaches to fisheries management with iwi and hapu;

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developing policies and structures to enable Maori to exercise customary harvesting and management rights for fisheries resources; and

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ensuring that the Crown delivers on its obligations in relation to quota allocation to iwi.

Goal 3

To develop a framework and manage processes that enable the efficient use of resources, including reducing business compliance costs, in the fisheries sector

Enabling efficient use of resources in the fisheries sector means:

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developing policies that properly specify and integrate the rights and responsibilities of all fishers; and

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creating individual and collective incentives for fishers to take a long-term interest in resource sustainability.

This includes internalising management and environmental costs, and internalising choice in achieving fisheries management environmental standards or goals.

It also means reducing overall business compliance costs within the fisheries sector, including the costs of the Ministry's internal operations.

Milestones

Milestones that result from these goals are detailed in Appendix 1.

Future position of the Ministry

Mission

The mission for the Ministry of Fisheries is:

To be the guardian of the multitudes of Tangaroa

This is reflected in the Maori name for the Ministry - Te Tautiaki i nga tini a Tangaroa - which means the guardian of the multitudes of Tangaroa.

We will deliver on this mission by:

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taking leadership in building and maintaining a social consensus for the goals, strategies and standards needed to achieve sustainable fisheries;

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establishing legal and operational frameworks that maximise fisheries stakeholders' contribution to achieving sustainable fisheries;

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providing core government fisheries services which ensure the integrity of the legal and operational frameworks to achieve sustainable fisheries.

We aim to be:

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recognised internationally as the world's best fisheries management agency;

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respected by:
- Ministers, other government departments and agencies;
- our fisheries stakeholders; and

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a leader in the New Zealand public service.

Critical success factors

To deliver on our mission, it is essential that we have the confidence of Ministers; the support of stakeholders; and core capabilities.

Confidence of Ministers

To retain the confidence of Ministers, we must ensure that we provide high-quality policy advice and fisheries services consistent with our core responsibilities to support the government's strategies for the management of fisheries.

This in turn requires high-performing people, adequate information and sound processes. It also means collaborating in a proactive way with other government departments and agencies.

Support of stakeholders

It is essential that all our stakeholders support the goals, strategies and standards to achieve sustainable fisheries in a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

They must also value the services we provide to Ministers as our contribution to achieving sustainable fisheries and have confidence in the integrity of our processes and professionalism of our people.

We must also ensure that we deliver cost-effective fisheries services consistent with the government's strategy for managing fisheries.

Core capabilities

To achieve our mission we must have and develop particular skills and expertise. The core capabilities required by the Ministry include expertise in:

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leadership and management;

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policy advice and knowledge of the machinery of government;

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networking with and facilitating the participation of stakeholders;

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knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and fisheries and expertise in fisheries management, as well as the related management and analysis of fisheries information;

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contract management and monitoring and auditing of fisheries services delivery;

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managing statutory processes; and

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criminal law enforcement and prosecution.

Values and Principles

Our mission requires that the Ministry earns respect as the guardian of the multitudes of Tangaroa. This means developing an organisational culture based upon the following values and principles.

Public service

We will create an environment in which our people can be proud to be part of the New Zealand public service and can maintain the highest level of professional behaviour.

In particular, we will:

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fulfil our lawful obligations to the government with professionalism and integrity;

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perform our official duties honestly, faithfully and efficiently, respecting the rights of the public and our colleagues; and

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not bring our employer into disrepute through our private activities.

Treaty Partnership

We will also recognise the status of Maori as tangata whenua and will develop processes and practices that are consistent with:

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the responsibilities of the Crown as a partner to the Treaty of Waitangi; and

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our specific legal obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992 and the Fisheries Act 1996.

Such practices will become an accepted and integral part of all aspects of our activities, supported through our organisational culture; they will also underpin all of our values.

Earning respect also means integrating a number of behavioural values into our day-to-day work - both within the Ministry and in our external relationships with stakeholders and the general public. These behavioural values are leadership, relationships and people, working in teams, and achieving results.

Leadership

We will develop effective and innovative means to allow people to contribute to and support the ability of the Ministry to deliver on its mission.

Relationships and people

We will develop, internally and externally, constructive and collaborative relationships built on trust.

Working in teams

We will share information and knowledge through superior teamwork and networking.

Achieving results

We will create an organisation that encourages and recognises people's contribution and dedication to our mission and outputs.

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Updated : 16 November 2007