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The chief executive of Te Ohu Kaimoana says Maori need to stand up for the quota management system in the face of widespread misinformation about the state of New Zealand’s fisheries.
The industry has had a tough year, with quesitons raised about its practices and the sustainability of many fisheries.
But Dion Tuuta says while many global fish stocks are under pressure, the evidence is that New Zealand’s system is still one of the best available.
He says it was introduced in the 1980s because some New Zealand’s fishstocks were collapsing, and it won the endorsement of Maori as part of the settlement of fisheries claims.
The Quota Management system actually has saved New Zealand fisheries. That's not to say it can be improved or tweaked right but fish stocks, certainly from the information that i'm privvy to are well managed under the QMS. When you look at the snapper stocks in the Hauraki Gulf you can prove demonstrable improvement," he says.
Dion Tuuta says the year has been dominated by the restructuring of Te Ohu Kaimoana and legal action against the crown.
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