He Tāngata
The Minister of Māori Affairs Hon. Parekura Horomia was only able to appoint seven of the 13 former Commissioners to the new Te Ohu Kaimoana board. That meant the end of an era for five former Commissioners. Among them were two of the longest standing Commissioners Naida Glavish and Craig Ellison who have both served on the Commission since the early 90s.
Craig Ellison was the former Deputy Chair of the Commission has been appointed
as a Director of Aotearoa Fisheries Limited. Craig expressed his support
to the Board of Te Ohu and wished them well. His knowledge and experience
of the New Zealand fishing industry will be invaluable for AFL.
The other four Commissioners to leave are June Jackson, Maui
Solomon, Ken
Mason
and Toro Waaka.
June Jackson who was appointed in 2001 says it was always
a challenge ensuring the consideration of urban Māori interests. “I'd
like to think I made a difference in developing an understanding of urban
issues among the Commissioners”,
says June. “Despite our differences I made some good friends.”
Toro Waaka was also part of the 2001 intake and hopes that the enactment of the Māori Fisheries legislation allows for some old wounds to be healed. “The allocation process caused tensions between some hapū and iwi. I hope those relationships can be mended. I also hope that iwi will get the assistance they need to help them successfully manage their fishing assets.”
The Te Ohu Team
The
Te Ohu Team: Louie Te Kani (Ngāi Te Rangi) who worked
with numerous iwi over the last two years as an adviser on iwi readiness
requirements has left Wellington and returned home to Tauranga. Louie was
a very popular staff member and will be sorely missed. (See photo)
Sam Cruickshank (Ngāti Whatua, Ngāpuhi) who brought a burst of creative energy to Te Ohu and particularly to the new fishfingers website has finished his contract with Te Ohu Kaimoana.
Former Finance staff -Daphne Grant and Richard Patete (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kuia) are part of the ‘final' migration of former Commission staff to go to Aotearoa Fisheries Limited. Both Daphne and Richard will take on similar roles within AFL.
Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa. Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.
Meanwhile, John Diggins has been appointed to replace Richard Patete as the Finance Manager. John is a chartered accountant with six years experience in taxation, financial and management reporting for Mobil Oil New Zealand and more than two years experience as a tax auditor for the Inland Revenue Department. John has also brought a healthy dose of humour to the office.
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Tiakina ngā rawa hi ika, a tātou kaimoana mo ngā uri whakaheke
Protecting Māori fisheries assets for future generations