Hon Parekura Horomia
Minister for Maori Affairs

7 April 2008 Media Statement

Maori play a huge part in the future of Fisheries

“Māori have a hard-fought for and enviable position in fisheries in Aotearoa and indeed the world.” Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia said today in his address to the 2008 Annual Maori Fisheries Conference in Napier.

The 2008 Maori Fishereis conference builds on the success of the 2007 conference with an equally impressive line-up of speakers and topics, coupled with both structured and informal opportunities for discussion, debate and networking.

This year, conference organisers chose to focus on the quintuple bottom line for Maori fisheries; it must be environmentally sustainable, culturally and socially sustainable, economically sustainable and politically sustainable.

“Maori feature in all fisheries sectors. Collectively we are the largest stakeholder in commercial fisheries. We are the customary fisheries sector. And we feature above our population base in the recreational fisheries sector. We have strong interests in aquaculture and also interests in freshwater fisheries. We feature strongly in the domestic and international seafood industry.”Mr Horomia said.

“We have achieved significant settlements in fisheries - commercial, customary and freshwater fisheries, and more recently in aquaculture. We have strengthened iwi and Maori management and governance in fisheries. We have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in commercial fisheries assets, and reserved thousands of square kilometres of our moana for the customary use and management of iwi and hapu. Many have enjoyed strong and positive performances and economic prosperity in the commercial fisheries sector. “

The 2008 annual Maori Fisheries conference provides over 200 parcipiants with the opportunity to come together and hold progressive discussions around the future place of Maori within the fishing industry.

“It’s important that we continue to build on the successes of Fisheries and that we discuss the pathway way forward to ensure Maori contunue to play an important part in the fishing industry now and into the future.”

For more informaion about this years conference:
http://www.manamoana.co.nz/conference.html

ENDS

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