A very Merry Christmas

From Fisheries Inshore New Zealand

It’s been a busy year. But aren’t they all. The last newsletter of the year is primarily to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. I hope you all get to take some time out and enjoy the company of your family and friends.

The membership of FINZ has continued to grow this year, most notably with the inclusion of Southern Inshore Fisheries Management Co. The expertise and experience that Southern Inshore has brought is a welcome and valuable addition to FINZ. The inshore fin fish sector is now more united than ever before which is increasingly important as we engage with MPI; their size and broad mandate makes a coherent and single voice vital to our sector.

Next year promises to bring some challenges for the sector. Most pressing will be responding to the government’s policy to establish recreational fishing parks in the Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds. This initiative has taken on a greater level of complexity as it is associated with replacing the Marine Reserves Act 1971 with new Marine Protected Areas legislation. Officials from MPI, DOC, MBIE and MFE have been working hard over the last two months to pull together policy advice for Ministers prior to formal consultation early next year. FINZ met with the Minister earlier this month to discuss this initiative and highlight some of the costs to the sector. The Minister advised that the consultation next year would focus on the legal structure, scope and departmental responsibilities associated with the new legislation rather than the details of any proposed recreational fishing parks. FINZ will be actively involved and keep you updated.

All the best for the festive season.
Jeremy Helson
Chief Executive - Fisheries Inshore New Zealand