March 14, 2022
Climate change threat to Māori economy
A Māori business leader says iwi need to plan for the effect of climate change on their economic assets.
Sir Mark Solomon is a former Ngāi Tahu kaiwhakahaere and current Te Ohu Kaimoana director, as well as chairing the Māori Carbon Foundation and sitting on the boards of the Deep South and the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenges.
From that perspective, he sees rough times ahead for iwi and Māori organisations which are heavily invested in primary industries.
“There is no doubt the weather is changing. There is no doubt we are getting more and more drought on the east coast, and huge intensification of rain coming through. They’re going to have a direct impact on the Māori economy,” Sir Mark says
Warming seas are bringing species further south, where kingfish are being caught off Campbell Island and snapper in the Southern Ocean.