ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR 2005/06

Achieving the overall fishery outcome requires investment in the Ministry and the wider fisheries sector. The following initiatives have been included in the Government’s 2005 Budget. Specific costs are set out in the table below.

Aquaculture settlement

The Ministry will have the role of implementing the settlement provisions in the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004. These provisions are designed to settle all Maori
claims to commercial marine farming post 21 September 1992, by providing iwi with an allocation of an area equivalent to 20% of the total space allocated since 1992 and 20% of new marine farming space. This will be met through the provision of new space, the purchase on a willing buyer/willing seller basis of existing space, or the provision of financial equivalent.

The appropriation for Vote: Fisheries will allow the Ministry to undertake this new role. Specific tasks will include:

• establishing and maintaining an aquaculture settlement register, including collection and management of information relating to existing marine farming space and the provision of aquaculture settlement assets
• developing and monitoring the contract with TOKMTL for its role as trustee in relation to settlement assets
• calculating and then advising Ministers on the proportion of new space to be allocated to iwi within each region, and supporting the associated Order-in-Council process
• reviewing progress toward meeting the settlement obligations after three years and developing, in consultation with iwi, a plan to complete the settlement obligations in relation to existing space
• advising the lead Minister on the appropriate processes and methods for determining the value of marine farming space
• purchasing marine farming space
• where marine farms are purchased, managing the process of providing iwi with the first right of refusal over the improvements
• providing, where necessary, for the management of any marine farms that are purchased, and the disposal of the improvements should iwi not take the right of first refusal to purchase the improvements
• assessing and providing the financial equivalent of marine farming space to iwi
• liaison with councils, the trustee, iwi and the marine farming sector
• ongoing monitoring, and advice to Ministers, where necessary, on possible redress to iwi where the proportion of iwi settlement assets in a region is reduced due to planning decisions of regional councils
• commencing development, by 31 December 2007 and in consultation with iwi, of a plan to address any outstanding Crown obligations in relation to existing marine farming space.

Fisheries enforcement

This initiative introduces a range of innovative poaching and black market deterrence strategies backed by an improved intelligence/analytical capability and strategically placed teams of enforcement personnel capable of executing enforcement operations on a much wider scale than is currently possible.

Existing staff will still complement this activity through the maintenance of local focus and strategies, much as they do now.

A failure to act will mean that legitimate commercial export trade will be under threat and both recreational and customary fishing will become impossible (as it already has in many areas).

Paua and rock lobster are high-value shellfish species commonly found in the most readily accessible regions of New Zealand.
Both species are important commercially (New Zealand’s current export trade in paua is in the order of $66 million and in rock lobster, $116 million), but they are also highly prized by both recreational and customary fishers.

If the illegal take is allowed to continue at its present rate, it will lead to the devastation of both fish stocks, particularly in those parts of New Zealand close to the larger population centres.
This will impact on all legitimate users as well as destroying a valuable export commodity.

International fisheries obligations

The Ministry needs to enhance its capability to manage the increasing international dimension to its work, particularly in the South Pacific and in the establishment and servicing of regional fisheries management organisations.

This initiative will:

• strengthen institutional frameworks to enable FFA member countries, including New Zealand, to effectively participate in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and to maximise the value obtained by New Zealand and FFA members from the utilisation of the fisheries resources in our region
• strengthen high seas governance in the South Pacific (to fulfil New Zealand’s obligations under UNCLOS and UN Fish Stocks Agreement) through cooperation in the conservation and management of non-tuna fisheries resources and protection of biodiversity.

Establishment of a new Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) in the region will provide for long-term sustainability of non-tuna fish stocks, and secure access for New Zealand fishers, in addition to addressing the impacts of fishing on biodiversity.

Sector engagement

Written and oral representations from the recreational fisheries sector to the Ministry of Fisheries over a number of years have noted the difficulties faced by the recreational sector in preparing for, and actually attending meetings set up by the Ministry to discuss management proposals of interest to their sector. While the Ministry of Fisheries conducts regular consultation on routine management issues (such as catch limits, and other sustainability measures, and the amount and type of research, compliance and other services), recreational fishers consider they lack the financial resources to adequately represent their sector’s interests.

The additional funding will be used to provide support for a ministerial recreational fishing advisory panel, and up to six regional recreational fishing forums. The purpose of the advisory panel, which would be an expertise-based group, would be to advise the Minister of Fisheries on strategic issues affecting recreational fishers. The purpose of the regional forums would be to enable representatives of the sector to be informed on, and provide knowledge and input to, Ministry proposals to develop advice on fisheries management statutory decisions.

Fiordland marine management

This initiative has at its core a strong and clear recognition of the principle of kaitiakitanga, both from a Maori perspective
and from that of the involvement of the local community. It will implement the Government’s decision to create by statute a new marine resource management regime across Fiordland’s marine environment.

The primary benefits will be:

• the improvement in both marine ecosystem and resource (fisheries) quality and abundance within the area
• the anticipated improvement in economic return (wealth), levels of use (amenity and recreation value) and social cohesion (community involvement) through the implementation of the new and innovative management arrangements.

The Ministry of Fisheries has a role to play in the implementation and continued management of the marine area.

Growth and innovation framework

The Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF) is an initiative designed to improve economic performance within New Zealand. The Ministry of Economic Development has responsibility for overall coordination and management of the initiative, but the Ministry of Fisheries has a role to play through the implementation of policies designed to improve the economic performance of the New Zealand fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Summary of additional services