Time for Iwi to Weave Together Common Fishing Interests

The different fisheries sectors in New Zealand are too often pitted against each other as they argue for priority but iwi can improve their opportunities and gain increased benefit through greater collaboration, Te Ohu Kaimoana, the Maori Fisheries Trust, says.

And while iwi can look to increase benefits from their fishing rights, they can also help improve the management of New Zealand’s fisheries resources at the same time.

Te Ohu Kaimoana, which represents Maori collective interests in fisheries, has released a document to promote discussion amongst iwi and hapu on how to encourage greater collaboration in managing their common fishing interests.

Iwi have multiple fishing interests – commercial, which is the direct ownership of quota and shares in Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd, and non-commercial, expressed through customary non-commercial access and recreational fishing regulations, the Chairman of the Trust, Matiu Rei, says.

“People talk about the commercial, customary or recreational sector but forget that Maori customary rights include all three. That involvement continues today with Maori having significant interests in all sectors.”

“Unfortunately these interests often appear to be pitted against each other as the different fishing sectors argue for priority,” Mr Rei said.

Examples of tension between iwi and hapu about access to fish are exacerbated by the design of the Fisheries Settlement – which settled Maori fishing claims but in doing so, separated Maori customary fishing rights into separate commercial and non-commercial regimes. This has acted to divide rather than strengthen tribal structures.

“The government did not intend for these regimes to be in opposition. Indeed they ought to support one another because the fisheries are the same fisheries. The fish do not swim around labelled as commercial, customary or recreational,” Mr Rei said.
The document proposes that iwi organisations and hapu work together to resolve the tensions they face in managing their fishing interests – rather than let the government and third parties undermine their unity.

It notes that there are two approaches to managing fishing. One is coercive – in which case the Government makes all the decisions about who gets what and how things should be managed. Where there is conflict – they determine the outcome. The other is collaborative and involves fisheries stakeholders working together to resolve how fisheries should be managed within the laws and regulations established by the Government.

By working within the network of tribal relationships Maori are well placed to take this second approach. “A key challenge for us is to exercise our customary commercial and non-commercial fishing rights in a balanced and integrated way – and within a tribal system that meets our needs in a modern context,” said Mr Rei.

First steps need to be taken at the home base where tension is often played out. In some cases iwi and hapu have already started this work and are achieving positive and practical results. With the assistance of Te Ohu Kaimoana, iwi in Taranaki have been working with a commercial operator and the Ministry of Fisheries to pilot a “pataka-whata” system. This system enables a commercial vessel to harvest fish under a customary permit. Fish is then stored in a “pataka” (storeroom) and can be used when needed predominantly for tangi. Iwi organisations have taken responsibility for establishing and running the pataka, which can be accessed by the kaitiaki of their local marae.

Mr Rei said that by talking openly about these issues, Te Ohu Kaimoana hopes that hapu and iwi (including the kaitiaki they appoint) will be able to find ways to work together to find practical solutions to fisheries management problems.

“Te Ohu Kaimoana encourages iwi to advance this approach but recognises it is up to iwi to decide when they want lead the discussion,” said Mr Rei.

He added that Te Ohu Kaimoana is ready to assist iwi with information on practical approaches working elsewhere and tools that can help with implementing local solutions.

A full copy of the discussion document can be found here: http://teohu.maori.nz/documents/publications/2011-05-Weaving-together-our-common-interests-in-fishing.pdf