MPI split doesn’t worry NZKS
The relocation of salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds may still go ahead despite a breakdown of the ministry behind the plan.
New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne said a new Labour-led government should not affect the outcome of the proposal.
‘‘I expect it will go ahead,’’ he said.
The Ministry for Primary Industries announced a proposal to move six salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds from low flow to higher flow sites in January.
New Zealand King Salmon said the proposal would bring both environmental and economic benefits, but residents and environmental groups opposed the plan at hearings earlier this year, citing environmental concerns.
Former minister Nathan Guy was to make a decision on the proposal after the election.
But the new Labour-led Government this week announced plans to disassemble the Ministry for Primary Industries, which combined fisheries, forestry and agriculture in one sector.
Jacinda Ardern announced the appointment of three cabinet ministers; Labour’s Stuart Nash for Minister of Fisheries, New Zealand First’s Shane Jones for Minister of Forestry and Labour’s Damien O’Connor for Minister of Agriculture.
Nash was not available for comment on Friday, but Rosewarne said the process was complete, so a change in Government should not affect the result.
‘‘The process is done and dusted, it is complete,’’ he said.
‘‘The report is written, the consultation has occurred ... the money has been spent so you might not agree with the process but given it is finished, it’s done.’’
Rosewarne said Ardern had ‘‘honoured’’ most of the previous government’s commitments and expected her to continue to do so in this case.
But Environmental Defence Society chief executive Gary Taylor said last week he expected the proposal to move the salmon farms would be dropped altogether.
‘‘Labour, in its environmental policies, said it would repeal section 360A of the Resource Management Act, the section being used by King Salmon to override rules set by the local government,’’ Taylor said.
‘‘We will have to see how the coalition agreement will go, at this point, but it would be inconsistent to go ahead with that if they committed to repealing that section.’’
The sites in question were of environmental significance and the local communities made it clear in their submissions they opposed the plan, Taylor said.
Recreational fishers welcomed the news of a stand alone fisheries minister.
Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association president Peter Watson said he was ‘‘optimistic’’ the ministry would make recreational fishing a top priority, or at least equal to commercial fishing.
Commercial fishing had been given ‘‘blatant’’ consideration over recreational fishing, he said. Watson hoped the ‘‘reborn’’ ministry would adopt a wider approach to fisheries management, meaning more numbers of fish.
‘‘If the habitat’s not right, which it isn’t, the food supply is diminished, then fish numbers suffer.’’
Federated Farmers Marlborough was not available for comment on what the disassembling of the ministry meant for farmers in the region.
The Ministry for Primary Industries was established in 2012 after the Ministry of Fisheries merged with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.