FISHING RIGHTS

Things may appear to have been quiet on this front over the last six months but only because key representatives of the public have been locked away in a ministerial consultative committee unable to make public comment on progress. That process has ended and each member is now free to report back to their groups and the public. So have we progressed? Yes definitely, but certainly no where near finished as it was determined that a quick fix or alteration of the fisheries Act to better define the publics rights, was not the best way forward. This may come in time but it was considered that more work was needed to determine what the current Act wording and intent gave the public in rights before changes are contemplated. This may seem a simple summation of events and certainly hides the amount of work carried out by all members to arrive at this position but it does apply describe where we currently are.

Pete Hodgson the Minister of Fisheries in his summation of the soundings process and subsequent consultative committee work, expressed his own disappointment in the lack of progress but admitted there were legislative traps if proposed changes were not fully endorsed by all recreational groups. He efficiently outlined the cost and benefits of what has been achieved. The benefits being the identification of key representatives and the trust that had been built. The birth of Option 4 as major player on recreational rights. The acceptance in principle of 1989 Moyle paper on National Policy for marine recreational fishing, which has as its first objective, recreational priority over commercial to allocation of access to the resource. We have put to bed issues the public didn’t want such as licensing and proportionality sharing of the resource. Plus parameters had been formed on matters that needed to be considered.

The costs? Time was the major detractor. Legislative windows have now gone and it is very unlikely that any recreational rights matters will be dealt with in the current term of government. This exposes other risks of possible government changes or at least cabinet reshuffles and ministerial changes. Both of which could derail all progress to date.

The minister will now report back to cabinet with progress and recommendations. The Soundings process has now officially finished and more money will be needed to extend the current work. It will be a new project taking the findings of Soundings into a more condensed arena involving the key players and the ministry. So they can form a new process with criteria, objectives and outcomes. It is hoped that this will be announced before Xmas.