Aquaculture team slams Government failure

By IRENE CHAPPLE


An aquaculture industry group has criticised the Government, saying the legal framework now under discussion fails to deliver on all its original promises.

The Aquaculture Council Response Team, chaired by Sanford's Ted Culley, also attacked Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson, saying he must take a "leadership role" and get reforms back on track.

An article in the industry newsletter Aquaculture News, written by Culley, says the industry "wholeheartedly supported" the proposed law reforms based on a discussion paper released in 2000.

That paper said the reforms would provide certainty for all participants and create an environment in which aquaculture could make a greater contribution to the economy, among other things.

Hodgson also backed the booklet released by the Aquaculture Council in 2001, titled Vision 2020.

The booklet spoke of an industry which would reach $1 billion in annual sales by 2020, up from around $300 million in sales now.

That target, picked up by commentators and referred to repeatedly, is increasingly unlikely to be reached. Since it was published a moratorium was placed over new marine farms.

The aim was to prevent a rush of applications during reforms but Maori claims over aquaculture rights and the foreshore and seabed have stalled progress.

The moratorium has now been extended from just over two years to three years, and will be lifted next December.

The Aquaculture Reform Bill has not yet been completed.

Culley writes: "The team believes the law reform fails to deliver on all of its originally stated deliverables."