Phil Heatley MP
National Party Fisheries Spokesman
3 January 2008
Aquaculture reforms - 1,097 days of inaction
Not one new Aquaculture Management Area (AMA), anywhere in the country, has been created in the 1,097 days since the
aquaculture reforms came into effect in January 2005, says National Party Fisheries spokesman Phil Heatley.
"Labour has put in place a cumbersome set of regulations that have come to zilch after three full years. Some space is
still dribbling through under the old legislation but absolutely none under the new, according to Ministry of Fisheries
documents that confirm 'no new space has been created' under the reforms.
"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.
"In a further twist, Maori were promised 20% of existing aquaculture space and 20% of future space as a treaty
settlement in the aquaculture reforms.
"But rather than purchase existing space, Labour opted to use new space to settle both current and future commitments.
However, papers from the Ministry of Fisheries recent financial review hearing say that 'currently no new space has been
created; therefore there has been no accumulation of settlement space'.
"In other words, three 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 2,134 hectare across the regions,
or roughly 240 marine farms.
"The government of the day will be required to make a cash payment to Maori if the Fisheries Ministry can't find this
water space by 2014.
"Expect Maori Party MPs to challenge Labour Maori MPs this election year over yet another settlement languishing and
undelivered.
"With our natural resources, clean water, and business smarts, we should be harnessing the full potential of our
aquaculture industry".
ATTACHED: 2006/2007 Financial Review Q & A [PDF]
ENDS