More Iwi Receive Fisheries Assets
Media release
10 April 2008| Download as PDF - 215kb
Te Aupouri in Northland and Nga Ruahine in Taranaki have been transferred their Maori fisheries settlement assets worth millions of dollars. The recent approval of the two iwi brings to nine the number around New Zealand that is yet to be mandated by Te Ohu Kaimoana.
Te Aupouri receives a total of $5,046,000 consisting of cash, quota and shares in Aotearoa Fisheries Limited. Nga Ruahine receives assets in value worth a total of $2,010,000.
Under the allocation methodology in the Maori Fisheries Act 2004, the Fisheries Settlement is allocated to Mandated Iwi Organisations on the basis of the iwi’s population (Iwi Affiliated Maori) and the length of the iwi’s coastline.
The assets transferred to Te Aupouri and Nga Ruahine consist of the “population” component of their share of the fisheries settlement that is able to be allocated on achieving Mandated Iwi Organisation (MIO) status.
The remaining “coastline” component made up of their share of the inshore, harbour, remaining deepwater and freshwater fishstocks can be allocated once coastline agreements have been reached with adjacent MIOs. Iwi that have not been mandated are preventing MIOs from receiving their full allocation.
Te Ohu Kaimoana chief executive Peter Douglas said that with only nine iwi left to mandate, work was progressing rapidly on allocating the coastline component to MIOs. “For some iwi, the coastline component makes up significant value of their share of the fisheries settlement and contains iconic species to Maori such as koura and paua, so we look forward to this part of the settlement being transferred to iwi.”
Ngaruahine spokesperson, Secretary Allie Hemara-Wahanui, said the iwi was both please and exited about the transfer of their assets. “Ngaruahine Iwi is both pleased and excited with the return of the fisheries settlement as this will enable us to develop and move forward as a people”, she said.
Nga Ruahine was mandated by Te Ohu Kaimoana in December 2007 and Te Aupouri mandated in March 2008.