Nelson fisheries sector welcomes changes to MPI

The announcement of a dedicated fisheries portfolio by the new Labour-led government has local fishing representatives hooked.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced this week the primary industries mega-ministry would be split into three parts covering for- estry, fisheries and agriculture to allow greater focus on each sector.

While the finer points of the new structure were yet to be discussed, the decision has been well-received by both commercial and recreational fishing representatives.

Port Nelson Fishermen’s Association president Matthew Hardyment said he hoped the new setup would bring closer engage- ment between stakeholders and Government.

‘‘It’s not quite the Government I would have expected, but it’s a really good move.

‘‘MPI has basically become a dictatorship, in my opinion, so I’d be hoping that that we finally get some decent consultation out of this.’’

Our Fishing Future president Geoff Rowling said the decision to manage the sectors individually had the potential to bring positive change in the way the industry was managed.

‘‘It depends on whether the intention is to set up a large scale, central bureaucracy or move towards a ministry that wants to develop stronger stakeholder engagement in a more collaborative approach.’’

Recreational fishing lobby group LegaSea said a new portfolio would go a long way towards fixing NZ fisheries management issues.

‘‘We believe there is much more value to be gained from growing our fisheries to abundant levels, enabling small businesses to take advantage of that abundance, and developing much needed jobs in the regions,’’ said spokesman Scott Macindoe.