Government aims to improve fisheries' management

An additional $8.2 million over the next four years is going towards improving the management of New Zealand's fisheries resources and protection of the marine environment, the Government announced today.

Minister of Fisheries Jim Anderton made the pre-budget announcement on the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research vessel the Tangaroa this afternoon.

He said New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone was a valuable resource that provided significant export earnings.

"It is vital that the Government works in partnership with the fishing industry to ensure we safeguard this resource from over-exploitation and continue to increase the contribution fishing makes to the domestic economy," he said.

The money would be split into different areas:

* $5.3 million over the next four years for the development of an objectives-based approach to fisheries management.

* $2m for the implementation of the Marine Protected Areas Strategy over the next four years.

* $580,000 is to be spent over the next four years on research into the effects of fishing practices on marine ecosystems, including bottom trawling on benthic environments.

* The figure also included the previously announced $325,000 which has been allocated to support the initiatives of the international ministerially-led Taskforce on Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing.

Mr Anderton also announced additional assistance to enable the Ministry of Fisheries to support the Government policy objectives of having all Treaty settlement negotiations completed by 2020: $600,000 was provided in Budget 2006. To ensure that it could participate effectively in the settlement process, the ministry would contribute a further $769,000 from its existing budget.

Consultation would be undertaken on all new services.

- NZPA