Fisheries leader to head mega-corp

By LIAM DANN

Robin Hapi has been appointed chief executive designate of the new Maori fisheries mega-corporation Aotearoa Fisheries.

Hapi is at present chief executive of Te Ohu Kai Moana (the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission).

He is also a director of most of the companies which will be merged to form AFL when the Maori Fisheries Bill is passed this year.

AFL will amalgamate the Waitangi Fisheries Commission shareholdings in Sealord, Prepared Foods, Moana Pacific, Chathams Processing, Pacific Marine Farms and Prepared Foods Processing.

The equity value of the company is estimated to be about $350 million.

The move has been compared to the formation of Fonterra in the dairy industry.

Hapi is expected to move to the new role by May although the bill to create AFL is still in the select committee process and may not be passed until June.

Te Ohu Kai Moana chairman Shane Jones said Hapi had already played a pivotal role in the development of Maori fisheries assets.

In his nine years as chief executive at Te Ohu Kai Moana the value of the Maori fisheries settlement had increased three-fold to about $700 million, Jones said.

He had the respect of the business world and the tribal chiefs.

Hapi has an MBA from Massey University.