Strategic Direction
Contribution to Government priorities
The goal and outcomes for the Ministry in this Statement of Intent support and reflect the Government priorities.
The Government’s main priority continues to be to grow New Zealand’s economy. Fisheries can contribute directly to this goal through greater efficiencies and by gaining greater benefit from the fish we catch and farm. We can support this by enabling economic value creation and reducing costs to industry, while acting to maintain the integrity of the marine environment on which fisheries resources depend.
The Government recognises the importance of New Zealand’s natural resources to the economy and the complex nature of natural resource management issues. The interagency Natural Resources Sector Network1 has been established to ensure that “an integrated, aligned and strategic approach is taken to natural resources development and management across Government agencies.”
The Ministry will work constructively with other agencies in the network to provide high quality advice to Government on natural resource issues. The network has developed a shared outcome for fresh water. It states “New Zealand’s fresh water is well governed and sustainably managed to realise the maximum benefit possible for present and future environmental, cultural, social and economic values”. The Ministry will advise on relevant aspects of freshwater management. This includes the impacts of land-based activities on freshwater quality, which in turn impact on fresh water, coastal and marine fisheries and biodiversity.
1 The other agencies involved are the Ministry for the Environment (chair), Department of Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Economic Development, Te Puni Kōkiri, Land Information New Zealand, together with Treasury, State Services Commission and Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.