Meeting with PM on Foreshore and Seabed Act

Senior Te Ohu Kaimoana and iwi leaders met with Prime Minister John key and some of his senior Ministers on the Foreshore and Seabed Act review in late August. The Government is currently developing its response to the Foreshore and Seabed panel’s report. Te Ohu Kaimoana is working with a number of iwi with a view to constructing a collective response that would deliver a satisfactory regime and want it signalled to Ministers before any major decisions are taken. The work to date has shown that while iwi wish to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act, it is critical that it be replaced at the same time with an improved regime. The aim is to ensure that iwi mana is recognised and meaningfully enacted in the management of the marine area in a way that is complementary to existing settlements. These factors were outlined in the meeting.

NZ fisheries get top rating from top scientists

A team of 21 of the world’s leading scientists recently gave New Zealand fisheries a huge feather in its cap when it judged our fishery to be one of the two healthiest in the world. In an international scientific research paper, Rebuilding Global Fisheries, published in the highly regarded journal Science, only Alaska’s fishery was also given the top ‘Green’ rating. The news comes as a real boost at a time when so much of the ‘noise’ out there is critical of fishing and those who do it. It is good to see some independent and serious scientific endorsement of the very good work being done to manage our fisheries. You can read Te Ohu Kaimoana’s press release at www.teohu.maori.nz or the report itself at www.sciencemag.org

Maori have been fishing a thousand years, and will for another thousand

I think we’re all aware that there has been an increase in ‘noise’ in the media recently from conservationist quarters around fisheries and other issues. I took the opportunity last week to call for a more considered middle ground from all parties and acknowledgement from conservationists of some of the good work going on around sustainability of our fisheries. The article appeared in the New Zealand Herald on Tuesday. You can link to it through our website at www.teohu.maori.nz

Te Ohu backs legal progress towards Aquaculture Bill $97m transfer

Te Ohu Kaimoana and iwi jointly presented a submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee on the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement (Regional Agreements) Amendment Bill last month.  This was a short submission with all parties recording agreement to the proposals in the Bill. Our submission was in favour of all aspects of the Bill, which when passed into law, will enable the Crown to transfer the $97 million from May’s Aquaculture Deed of Settlement signing to Te Ohu Kai Moana, which can then transfer the money to the iwi concerned – Te Waipounamu and Hauraki.  The Bill also allows Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley to continue work to reach settlement with other iwi with pre-commencement obligations from the Crown. Mr Heatley has written to those iwi offering them the chance to agree settlement of the Crown’s obligations. This will require collective agreement in each region.

Te Ohu Kaimoana recently held a nationwide series of hui with iwi to discuss future directions and workstreams. These were a great opportunity to both talk and listen to our iwi stakeholders, and they were an important first step to more work being done on where our future efforts will add most value for iwi and Maori. It was certainly a constructive, valuable and encouraging process, and it reaffirmed much of the work Te Ohu has done and that is valued by iwi and Maori. The hui certainly helped to renew and clarify our commitment to the important work that lies ahead.