Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy has announced an operational review of the Fisheries Management System.
He said it was necessary to ensure that New Zealand’s fishing system is up to date and working fairly and efficiently, noting that it had been 19 years since the Fisheries Act was passed.
Nathan Guy said review would seek to strengthen public confidence and foster community support by providing opportunities for involvement in local area management. It would not undermine existing rights and interests of commercial, customary and recreational fishers, Treaty settlements or core elements of the Quota Management System. He said the review would be high-level, not intending to touch on the detail of things like recreational fishers’ bag limits or fishing quotas.
The Ministry is currently seeking views on the strengths and weaknesses of the current system from stakeholder organisations and will determine next steps after considering feedback.
The announcement was made in a speech to the 2015 New Zealand Seafood Industry Conference on 19 August.
