Other Organisations
The New Zealand commercial fishing industry operates under a system known as the Quota Management System or QMS. The QMS was introduced in 1986. It controls the total commercial catch from all the main fish stocks found within New Zealand 's 200 nautical mile EEZ. It was introduced to prevent over-fishing and improve the economic efficiency of the fishing industry. New Zealand is not the first country to bring in quotas, but it is the first to use them on such a broad scale in a multi-species fishery.Most countries manage fisheries by controlling inputs, such as the number of boats, the size of boats, mesh size of the nets and so on. Since the Fisheries Act 1996 came into full effect on 1 October 2001, the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) has implemented a programme to consider introducing further species into the Quota Management System (QMS).
Fisheries within New Zealand 's EEZ are a valuable national asset, a public resource, the common property of all New Zealanders with the Government holding management rights over them. Successive Governments have aimed to conserve and manage fisheries for the benefit of all New Zealanders. This means ensuring the use of fisheries is sustainable while balancing competing claims to the resource.
MFish is the Government agency responsible for the conservation and management of fisheries, monitoring the resource and making appropriate policy advice on all aspects of fisheries management to the Government. MFish was established as a stand-alone agency on 1 July 1995. Its primary purpose is to ensure that fisheries are sustainably used within a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The Ministry is also responsible for compliance of fisheries regulations by all fishers.
Maori Commercial Fisheries
In 1992, the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission was established to receive fisheries settlement assets as a result of an agreement between Maori and the Crown. The Commission was to develop a distribution model for the allocation of the fisheries settlement that was fair and durable for Maori. This process took 12 years and was finally achieved with the enactment of the Maori Fisheries Act 2004. With the passing of the Act the Commission was replaced with Te Ohu Kaimoana Trust ( Te Ohu ).
Te Ohu is the trust responsible for advancing the interests of Iwi in the development of fisheries, fishing and fisheries-related activities. By 2010, it will have successfully effected the transfer of assets to Iwi organisations properly prepared to manage them on behalf of Maori and to grow and protect the value of Maori fisheries assets through effective governance, representation, technical support and capability development.
Its primary role now is to administer current and new quota on behalf of Iwi until Iwi are ready to receive their Fisheries Settlement assets. Te Ohu is responsible to help Iwi prepare for the transfer to them of their settlement assets so that they may manage and develop them in the best interests of their people. In addition to this, Te Ohu will remain playing a vital advocacy role on behalf of Maori. Te Ohu will provide a central voice when any legal reforms are proposed that relate to either the seafood sector, or ownership/management of marine and freshwater environments.
Te Ohu considers that it is important to influence government policy, and fisheries management decisions to ensure that:
sustainability of our fisheries assets and the marine environment is assured, consistent with kaitiakitanga;
the rights secured by Maori under the Fisheries Settlement are retained.
Through Te Putea Whakatupu Trust and the Fishfingers scholarship programme, Te Ohu is able to directly assist Iwi with training and development. The scholarship programme is managed through this Trust as part of the wider strategy of Te Ohu's Training and Development Programme. The Programme exists in order to meet Te Ohu's statutory obligations to ensure that all Maori have access to and benefit from the Maori Fisheries Settlement Act.
While Te Ohu is responsible for a significant percentage of the New Zealand commercial fishing industry, a number of individual Iwi organisations also maintain successful commercial fishing enterprises. Ultimately, this takes Maori control or ownership of New Zealand 's commercial fishing industry to more than 40 percent.
Industry representation
The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Ltd (SeaFIC) represents the industry needs of fishers, harvesters, the aquaculture sector, processors, retailers and exporters.
SeaFIC provides professional - and contestable - advice to Government and the industry on sound fisheries management policies and practices. Through information, consultation and input into central and local Government decision-making processes, SeaFIC assists the growth of the industry. Underpinning this is a commitment to sustainable development and to protect our marine resources.
SeaFIC is an industry owned company, funded under the Commodity Levies (Fish) Order 2002. It is managed by a board of directors who represent company shareholders. The company is organised into the business units - Science, Policy, Trade and Information, and Industry Training.
SITO or the Seafood Industry Training Organisation is the responsible for facilitating competence-based training across all areas of the seafood industry, including both industry-specific and generic skills.
