MEDIA RELEASE
Te Ohu Kaimoana Reiterates Warning as Two More Iwi Approved to Receive Fisheries Assets
29 June 2007| Download as PDF - 216kb
Te Ohu Kaimoana has mandated two iwi organisations to receive their share of the Maori fisheries settlement, taking the number of approvals to 43.
Ngati Kahu, Northland, and Rangitane in the lower North Island have had their respective organisations approved as Mandated Iwi Organisations and will receive initial settlement assets of almost $4.23 million and $1.94 million respectively.
Initially, the assets for these iwi consist of deepwater quota, shares in Aotearoa Fisheries Limited and cash. The inshore quota, harbour, remaining deepwater and freshwater fishstocks would be allocated once agreements have been reached with adjacent iwi that have also been approved as MIOs.
The Chairman of Te Ohu Kaimoana, Mr Archie Taiaroa, congratulated the two iwi but reiterated concerns over progress being made by a number of the remaining iwi to be approved.
“Some iwi have huge demands on their time, particularly for Crown-related issues, and these impact on the resources available to undertake Maori fisheries requirements. We understand the constraints that iwi have, but the delays put neighbouring iwi at an economic disadvantage,” Mr Taiaroa said.
“We have provided as much assistance to iwi as we can to get them through the Act’s requirements. Ultimately, we can only do so much. If these delays continue, there is the possibility that annual catch entitlements that are made available to these iwi now will be no longer provided. For some iwi, this can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.”
Section 152 (2) of the Maori Fisheries Act allows for the withholding of current annual catch entitlements if an iwi does not demonstrate reasonable progress in meeting the requirements for MIO approval.
Mr Taiaroa said, however, that Te Ohu Kaimoana staff was eager to work with all remaining iwi to ensure that the assets of the fisheries settlement were with all iwi as soon as possible.