Media release
Successful year for Maori fisheries
21 December 2006| Download as PDF - 213kb
Te Ohu Kaimoana, the Maori Fisheries Trust, has achieved one of its most successful and busy financial years in the history of the organisation, the Chief Executive Peter Douglas said today.
The trust today reported a net profit after-tax of $19.9 million and that it had approved 35 iwi as Mandated Iwi Organisations (MIOs).
Mr Douglas said major steps had been taken in allocating 60 percent of the Maori fisheries settlement to Mandated Iwi Organisations (MIOs) and Te Ohu Kaimoana had only 22 iwi remaining to meet with requirements of the Maori Fisheries Act. “We will do everything we can to ensure these iwi are mandated and receive their assets by the end of 2007. This will, however, require a major commitment from those organisations and their members.”
He added that some iwi have not made a genuine attempt to meet the requirements of the Maori Fisheries Act and their share of the fisheries settlement would remain with Te Ohu Kaimoana in trust until they did.
Te Ohu Kaimoana staff members have worked to establish and develop the workload for two trusts that were created out of the allocation model – Te Putea Whakatupu Trust and Te Wai Maori. Both trusts will now turn their attention to operational aspects of their work. Te Putea Whakatupu will focus on developing Maori leadership while Te Wai Maori had identified important projects to enhance Maori customary and commercial interests in key native freshwater species.
Mr Douglas said Te Ohu Kaimoana had been involved with most aspects of the fishing industry, and there were important issues on which the organisation will focus next year.
“The Government is looking at ways in which other fisheries sectors can increase their take. There are proposals to increase the recreational fishing take through reducing the amount available to the commercial sector. We believe this could have a significant and detrimental effect on the fishing industry and, as a consequence, the Maori fisheries settlement.”
He added that the Fisheries Act 1996 provides that the Minister cannot reduce the commercial share in a fishery and transfer that share to another sector without providing compensation. “It’s difficult to see how the Government proposals will provide a sounder basis for management of our New Zealand fisheries.”