Councils baulk over fisheries divvy-up

Regional councils are warning they want no role in allocating marine farming space to iwi - the sweetener the Government hopes may alleviate anger over its foreshore and seabed plans, a leaked report reveals.

They also have issues with other aspects of the proposed aquaculture reforms saying the model contains "fundamental weaknesses".

Local Government New Zealand prepared the report and handed it to Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson just before he announced this month the aquaculture moratorium had been extended.

Mr Hodgson said then the nine-month extension was a result of the Government's need to tackle the foreshore and seabed issue first.

National fisheries spokesman Phil Heatley said the report revealed the Government had run into serious problems with the proposed reforms and had used the foreshore and seabed as an excuse.

Much of the decision-making around the establishment of new marine farms will be devolved to regional councils under the reforms.

But the Government is also negotiating Treaty claims to a share of the marine farming waterspace and is expected to grant them 20 per cent of new Aquaculture Management Areas.

The councils fear they will get bogged down in a host of difficulties if decisions on how to allocate space to iwi and hapu fall to them.

They want either the Government or regional or national Maori organisations to make the decisions.