Professional Māori director Jamie Tuuta to chair Sealord Group

Sealord has appointed Jamie Tuuta as its new chairman. Photo / Whakaata Māori

Jamie Tuuta will take over as chair of the Sealord Group when Whaimutu Dewes retires in March.

Tuuta is a former chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana and a former Maori Trustee.

He is currently chair of Māori Television and Tourism New Zealand and a director of fisheries settlement company Moana New Zealand and a number of other boards.

Moana chair and Sealord director Rachel Taulelei says Dewes is part of the bedrock of Māori fisheries and has provided strong guidance, leadership, and commercial acumen during his three decades in fisheries governance.

New Sealord chair Jamie Tuuta. Photo / RNZ

Dewes was a member of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission for its first 10 years and deputy chair of the Nelson-based deepwater fishing company between 1992 and 2008.

He returned as chair in 2016.

Sealord is a joint venture between Māori and Japanese seafood company Nippon Suisan Kaisha.