| Parliament
House
WELLINGTON 1.
Telephone (04) 471 9999
4 - MAR 2004
Mark Feldman
Kerikeri
NORTHLAND
Dear Dr Feldman
Thank you for your letter
dated 13 February 2004 concerning the initial position paper on
kahawai.
You note that the Ministry
of Fisheries is currently consulting on a proposal for setting sustainability
(catch limits) and other management controls for kahawai. While
crediting the Ministry of Fisheries with presenting most of the
facts in the Initial Position Paper (IPP), you do not agree with
its conclusion that currently there is no scarcity within the fishery
and therefore no clear-cut requirement to consider reallocating
between sector groups. You consider such a conclusion to be at odds
with many of the facts you have listed for the fishery and assume
this to be the result of the Ministry of Fisheries' commercial bias
and insensitivity to social issues.
The Ministry of Fisheries'
role is to independently provide me advice on proposals, as well
as trying to encourage consensus amongst stakeholders. Consensus
is not always possible and it is probably inevitable for shared
fisheries that proposals displease one or more stakeholder groups.
Contrary to the assertion made in your letter, this does not mean
that the Ministry of Fisheries favours the commercial sector or
any other sector group.
Rather, the Ministry of Fisheries
encourages constructive debate and welcomes any written submission
on its proposals. The Ministry of Fisheries prepares me final advice
only after reviewing and analysing all submissions. Any new options
or issues raised in submissions such as those contained in your
letter, are considered as part of this process. The IPP is currently
in the consultation phase and I do not intend to comment on the
detail of your letter, however I can tell you that a response to
submissions will be available when I advise of my decisions.
You request an increase in
the time for providing submissions on the IPP. The Ministry of Fisheries
advises me that an extension to the deadline for the receipt of
submissions until 16 April 2004 has been agreed to.
Thank you again for your
letter. I appreciate the active role you have taken in advocating
for improved management of the kahawai fishery and I understand
that my decisions are of vital interest to the recreational sector.
Yours sincerely
Hon. David Benson –
Pope
Minister of Fisheries |
