October 28, 2014
Minister calms waters on fishing park
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says proposed recreational fisheries parks in the inner Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds won’t affect marine farming.
The election promise raised concern among iwi who saw them as potentially reducing the value of their fisheries settlement.
Mr Guy told the annual aquaculture industry conference the parks are part of a wider reform of marine protection legislation, with a discussion paper due by the end of the year.
He says the parks will not affect commercial aquaculture operators in either of the proposed areas.
Mr Guy says the current regime hasn’t provided hoped for levels of growth in the industry.
The Government is pushing for changes to the Resource Management Act, which the minister says should provide more certainty, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness in resource allocation decisions.
Maori are already big players in aquaculture and he is keen to complete the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Settlement, with negotiations underway on regional offers for the key aquaculture growing regions.
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