Successful year for Global Fisheries scholar

Nathan Reid, Te Ohu Kaimoana's Global Fisheries scholar who has just returned from a year of intensive fisheries training in Japan, says he's looking forward to putting learning into practice in his new job with Moana Pacific Fisheries in Auckland.

Nathan Reid, wife Jodie and baby Halle at Shinjuku Park in Tokyo.

After being home since late August, Nathan is well over the non-stop pace of living that Tokyo lifestyle brings with it and the language difficulties and is settling into his new position as a sales representative for chilled products at Moana Pacific.

He says his time in Japan at Japanese global seafood company Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd was invaluable. “They [Nippon Suisan] are so advanced 80 percent of what I learned over there just doesn't exist in New Zealand,” Nathan says.

Nathan's main focus while in Japan was to look at the fishing industry supply chain and to identify what opportunities might be available to further develop the New Zealand fishing industry. “Nippon Suisan does everything and more, and I spent time dealing with everything from the fish markets, aquaculture down to pharmaceuticals.”

While the working life posed a number of challenges, adjusting to living in a foreign country where English is an uncommon language also provided some ups and downs. “You learn a lot of life's lessons. You learn about adjusting to a foreign culture, about yourself and you learn about your own whanau.”

Despite the difficulties, Nathan says he enjoyed his time in Japan and is looking forward to moving ahead with his fisheries career.

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Tiakina ngā rawa hi ika, a tātou kaimoana mo ngā uri whakaheke
Protecting Māori fisheries assets for future generations

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