| Shared
Fisheries Letter to the Minister of Fisheries
by
the option4 team
8
May 2007
Minister of Fisheries
Hon. J. Anderton
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
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Printable version available
here.... |
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Dear Minister,
Shared Fisheries
Management
Dear Mr. Anderton,
option4
representatives would like to meet with you, as our Minister, to
discuss the future management of shared fisheries on behalf of all
New Zealanders and our recent submission in support of the Fisheries
Amendment Bill to allow you to take a more precautionary approach
when making decisions.
We aim
to assist you to achieve healthy fisheries and a marine environment
to provide abundance for the people, together with guardianship
of the right and ability of all to catch fish for the table. We
have a wide range of relevant skills to draw on including fisheries
scientists, fisheries managers, commercial fishers, business people
and professionals including accountants and legal advisers. The
majority of our considerable effort has occurred over the past six
and a half years.
The recent
Kahawai Legal Challenge judgement has reinforced our argument for
existing law to be adhered to: specifically, mandatory consideration
of recreational and customary take to enable people to provide for
their social, cultural and economic wellbeing. Justice Harrison
also noted the danger of complete reliance on Ministry advice. To
this end, we wish to reassure you that we can provide broader, fresh
input for positive change through achievable and affordable means.
There is
an opportunity now to leave a legacy for current and future generations
by ensuring that abundance provides real meaning to the common law
right to fish for food. We appreciate the ‘balancing act' required
of Ministers faced with differing lobby groups, and seek to assist
you to deliver positive outcomes for shared fisheries.
Having
worked in a completely open and transparent manner with all representative
groups including the Ministry of Fisheries, tangata whenua and other
recreational groups, we now request a dialogue with yourself in
order to present our fresh input to assist achieving the environmental,
social, cultural and economic benefits of more fish in the water
/ kai maha nga ika I roto te wai.
We can
meet at a time and place that suits you, and look forward to your
positive response.
Yours sincerely
Paul Barnes
option4 project team leader
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