option4 responds to the Cabinet Paper.

This month we focus on the Cabinet Paper that concludes the "Soundings" Public Consultation phase of the rights debate. This Cabinet Paper is the best advice available from the Ministry of Fisheries to their Minister, Pete Hodgson, who then signs off and delivers to his Cabinet colleagues in November last year. He in turn asks them (the Cabinet Committee) to sign off on the recommendations contained within the Paper. This, they have done. This sets the process up for its next phase.

To say option4 are disappointed with the Cabinet Paper is a real understatement. We have written to the Minister asking to meet with him. Hopefully he will agree to do so.

We believe the Cabinet Paper is full of inaccuracies, omissions and misleading information. You may read the entire Cabinet paper, complete with the option4 comment in blue italics, on the site by clicking on this link https://www.option4.co.nz/Your_Rights/cabpaprebut.htm

This is important. As we reject the Cabinet Paper, so too we reject the process that is driven by the decisions of Cabinet. The Cabinet can only be expected to base their decisions upon what is put in front of them. In this instance the information and the advice that has lead to that information being tendered cannot be left unchallenged. Keep your fingers crossed for a positive response from the Minister.

The Ministerial Consultative Group (MCG) process last year.

The Minister initiated this in May 2001. The objective was to seek "sounding board" type feedback from representatives of recreational fishing groups on draft Ministry Policy Proposals. This was achieved.
Whilst the various recreational participants contributed fully, there was little or no feedback given them on their contribution at the MCG, or afterwards, whilst the Cabinet Paper was being finalised. The MCG was conducted under Chatham House rules. What was said was not minuted. What was written hasn't been made available to the public to date.
option4 has used the Official Information Act to seek all background papers to the Cabinet Paper. This is where we have sourced the option4 "sounding board" feedback to the Draft Ministry Policy proposals, that has until now not been available for you, the public.. Again, you will find the option4 feedback to the Minister in blue italics immediately following the section of the Ministry Policy Paper that the comment refers to. Please click on this link to read, for the first time, much of what was covered at the MCG meetings.

https://www.option4.co.nz/Your_Rights/mcgfeedback.htm

Following our input, the Ministry then wrote to the Minister to advise him on their opinion of what the MCG had to say about their draft Policy Papers. Now, click here to read what the Ministry of Fisheries had to say to the Minister. You make up your mind about what sort of advice this Minister is getting. We were unaware of the existence of this document until after Christmas when it surfaced in the Official Information package.
https://www.option4.co.nz/Your_Rights/mcglmf701.htm

Are you getting the picture. But wait, there's more. However you will have to wait for next months Update to read it.

Sorry if this months fodder has been a little on the dry side - it's that sort of game - long and tedious.

Recent articles

In the April edition of Fishing News there is an excellent contribution from Tony Orman. Please click here for his comment https://www.option4.co.nz/Your_Rights/ormana402.htm
Please consider subscribing to New Zealand Fishing News. They have maintained an excellent profile of this debate to date.
To subscribe, please phone 0800 113 441.

We have on site a copy of the Tuna NZ submission to the Introduction of new species to the QMS. Some very interesting fishing industry observations regards the Quota Management System. Worth a read for the super keen. https://www.option4.co.nz/Fisheries_Mgmt/qmsstunanz.htm

Please keep up to date with what is going on. There is more to come. Keep your family and friends up to speed. option4 is not willing to let secrets and half truth's cloud the real issue of our right to fish.

Regards from the team at option4