Talks on fishery sharing

WELLINGTON - The Fisheries Ministry will begin talks next month with recreational, customary and commercial groups about the allocation of shared fisheries, the Government said yesterday.

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the talks would be the first step in developing a new framework for managing shared fisheries and he hoped it would help reduce conflict.

"The Government wants to get better value from our shared fisheries," Mr Anderton said. "To manage fisheries for greater benefit, we need people working together rather than against each other."

He said one of the biggest problems was allocation. "Unfortunately, current fisheries legislation does not give us a robust framework for resolution of allocation issues in shared fisheries. This has led to a lot of uncertainty, which in turn can lead to conflict and tension between the sectors."

A document will be released mid-June containing practical options to address concerns.

- NZPA