A bill to give greater protection to fish stocks has been delayed and could be watered down as Labour's Maori caucus fights for a compromise to appease fractious Maori fishing interests.
The Fisheries Amendment Bill favours conservation over commercial interests in cases where scientific information on a fishstock is inconclusive. It is opposed by powerful Maori fishing interests, who fear it would cut catch limits and erode the wealth endowed by the Treaty fisheries settlements of 1992.
Yesterday, the primary production select committee was given until August 31 - instead of June 12 - to consider the bill after concerns that the legislation was pushed into Parliament with little consultation.
The delay is a blow to Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton who wanted it passed in time to apply to the round of decisions due by the start of the fishing season in November.
After a meeting of Labour's Maori caucus with Mr Anderton last night, Maori caucus spokesman Shane Jones said the delay also bought time to negotiate over the bill. He refused to say whether any of the Maori caucus would cross the floor if no compromise was reached.
Finding a compromise between sustainability and commerce was a balancing act.
"We are proxies for Maori and Maori support sustainability but they also have a disproportionate amount of wealth tied up in the fishing industry. So naturally the Maori caucus is keen to see that wealth endure, but not with changes that undermine sustainability."
The bill puts Labour's Maori MPs in an uncomfortable position between the Government and their own Maori constituency. Any perceived erosion of the fisheries assets could lose them votes in the Maori seats in the next election.
The MPs are understood to have lobbied Prime Minister Helen Clark to intervene on the issue.
Yesterday, Helen Clark also hinted at a watering-down of the bill, saying overfishing had to be avoided, but "what has to be demonstrated is whether the change to the law is needed for that, or whether within the existing law it can be dealt with."
Mr Anderton refused to comment on his talks with the Maori caucus, beyond saying he was happy with the way the talks had gone. He said the bill simply clarified a precautionary approach in favour of sustainability, as required in international agreements.
