Departmental Output Expense - Fisheries Operations

Description

This provides for:

• the development of standards, guidelines, regulations, fisheries plans and processes that make the fisheries policy framework operational

• services to monitor the delivery of contracted and devolved registry services to ensure consistency and compliance with contracted or devolved standards

• implementation of Fisheries Deed of Settlement obligations

• the management and dissemination of information received from registry agencies for use by the Ministry in managing other output expenses

• a number of Ministry statutory decision processes

• a capacity to contribute to the formulation of strategic goals for the biosecurity system

• a capability to contribute to the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.

Objectives

• Allocate rights to utilise fisheries resources

• Develop fisheries plans to outline the Crown's contribution to achieving fisheries outcomes

• Evaluate fisheries plans in order to provide advice to the Minister

• Enable tangata whenua to participate effectively in fisheries management

• Monitor the management of New Zealand fisheries

• Develop and implement standards for the management of fisheries resources

• Contribute to the advice on biosecurity issues in New Zealand

• Contribute to the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.

Financial performance

In 2006/07, the appropriation for this departmental output expense is $22,950,000, an increase of $3,718,000 over the 2005/06 SOI.

Explanation of year on year changes

New Zealand fisheries utilisation and sustainability reported

Fisheries Plans

As noted in the 2005/08 Statement of Intent and this current document, the Ministry is placing increased emphasis on working with stakeholders in the development of fisheries plans in order to better define what we want to achieve from fisheries and to clearly link the management interventions and services to those objectives.

The increased levels of funding in this output to facilitate that approach are provided through:

• a transfer of $1,000,000 funding from output "Utilisation and sustainability of New Zealand's fisheries resources measured"

• further reprioritisation totalling $1,100,000 within the Vote

• new initiative funding of $750,000.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Government has approved a marine protected areas policy. The policy is a new and integrated approach to marine protection and provides further support for the NZ Biodiversity strategy. The policy will provide an integrated process, including regional consultation, for establishing a network of MPAs around New Zealand.

The Ministry is jointly implementing this policy with the Department of Conservation. In the 2006/07 year the Ministry is funding the policy through:

• new initiative funding of $500,000; and

• internal reprioritisation $464,000.

Deed of Settlement implemented

The additional funding for this output reflects the continuation of the new initiative approved by the Government in the 2004 Budget to increase the capacity of Māori to participate in fisheries management processes and also to enable the Ministry to meet its Deed of Settlement obligations and comply with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Statutory decision processes administered

Aquaculture permit applications processed

In previous years, these functions were shown under the one heading - "Statutory decision processes administered". For 2006/07 they have been split into two separate outputs to better reflect the nature of the work.

Registry services managed

The changes in this output reflect a reduction in the contract price for the services provided by Commercial Fisheries services Ltd (FishServe).

Biodiversity advice provided

The change to this output reflects the increased effort being applied to the Marine Protected Areas Strategy.