Phil Heatley MP
National Party Fisheries Spokesman

3 January 2007

Reforms come to zilch after two years

"Not a single new Aquaculture Management Area (AMA), anywhere in the country, has been created in the 730 days since the reforms came into effect," says National Party Fisheries spokesman Phil Heatley.

"Labour has put in place a cumbersome set of regulations which have come to zilch after two full years.

"Fisheries Minister, Jim Anderton, has thrown committees at the problem, cash at the problem and made all sorts of lofty promises. But even he must now admit something's gone horribly wrong with the reforms," says Mr Heatley.

As part of the reforms, which came into force in January 2005, Maori were promised 20% of existing aquaculture space, and 20% of future space.

But rather than purchase existing space, Labour opted to use new space to settle both current and future commitments. However, the Ministry of Fisheries financial review says that 'currently no new space has been created; therefore there has been no accumulation of settlement space'.

"In other words, two years have slipped past Jim Anderton and absolutely nothing's been resolved. No existing space has been passed to Maori as promised, yet the Ministry's website says Maori are owed 1,943 ha across the regions, or roughly 240 marine farms," says Mr Heatley.

"The Government of the day will be required to make a cash payment to Maori if the Fisheries Ministry cannot find this water space by 2014.

"It is little wonder that Labour's Dover Samuels has said the legislation is unworkable.

"With our natural resources, clean water and business smarts, we should be harnessing the full potential of our aquaculture industry," says Mr Heatley.

ENDS

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