In his opening speech Anderton has given some hard messages to the fishing industry of New Zealand. He asked his cabinet colleague to lay off on cost recovery. He praised the EEZ saying that now the destiny of the fishery is in Australian hands and so enough seafood exported to make one billion meals each year for seafood lovers around the world.
He also said that the role of the Federation of Commercial Fishermen is worth mentioning as it has done a lot for getting the Quota Management system up and running. According to hmi New Zealand’s inshore fisheries at the time – paua, rock lobster and snapper – were under real pressure. He said that the fishing industry has now generated lot of regular jobs involved loading nets into very small open boats in places like Wellington’s Island Bay, to motor out into the sometimes mountainous seas of the Cook Strait and race back with a catch for local markets.
Anderton said that the fishing industry has developed enormously in short span of time. At a local level, the fisheries plan advisory groups are making good progress developing goals and objectives for their fishery. He applauds the shared fisheries policy which was initiated by him. About the future Anderton said whatever the specifics of policies adopted, some issues – such as allocation – are best sorted out between those who bear the costs and those who stand to benefit.
Competing on the issue of the quality of information Anderton said that the authorities have some of the toughest issues in the QMS. He added that in February the High Court overturned his last TAC decision for orange roughy in Area 1. According to him this ruling has created a significant problem for the management of New Zealand’s fisheries.
