Foreword

I am pleased to present the Ministry of Fisheries Statement of Intent for 2008 through to 2013. This Statement of Intent documents the Government’s expectations of the Ministry of Fisheries and sets out the specific outcomes, both for our fisheries and fisheries stakeholders, the Ministry will contribute to over the next five years.

Wayne McNee commenced as the Ministry’s new Chief Executive in January 2008. Wayne will focus on the long-term direction of fisheries management, the capability of the Ministry to deliver the Government’s expectations, and balancing the harvesting of our fisheries with ensuring their sustainability and the integrity of our ocean and freshwater ecosystems. As one of his first tasks, he will lead the development of a long-term strategy for managing our fisheries.

The Ministry operates in a complex environment. Customary, recreational and commercial fishers and environmental interest groups all have different expectations and values for our fisheries. The different sectors can often value the same fish stock in quite different ways. Sometimes these different expectations and values can be in direct conflict.

Along with this complexity our fisheries are constantly changing. There are a large number of variables to take into account when making management decisions and we cannot simply count the number of fish in the sea or accurately predict how many young fish will be produced each year. Getting adequate information to make decisions that we can be sure are sustainable is extremely difficult and expensive. The best available information can be uncertain and is often interpreted in different ways by different groups.

Despite these challenges, I am confident we have a successful system for managing our fisheries. As we look to the future, fisheries management is evolving to include and involve all our stakeholders and take into account their aspirations through collaboratively developed fisheries plans. We are improving the environmental performance of our commercial fishing fleet through initiatives such as the Benthic Protected Areas and seabird protection measures. These aim to reduce the impact that fishing can have on the environment while minimising additional costs on the industry. We are working hard to assist our aquaculture industry to develop and achieve its goal of being a one billion dollar a year industry by the year 2025.

The key to achieving these goals, both for now and into the future, is to ensure our fisheries and our aquatic environment are healthy and sustainable. I believe that we have an excellent foundation in place and a solid work programme for the Ministry over the next five years that will move us towards these goals.

Hon Jim Anderton
Minister of Fisheries