Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said councils will lose the ability to make rules for fishing and fishery resources already managed under the Fisheries Act, as changes to legislation move through Parliament.
The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, which are progressing through Parliament, will replace the Resource Management Act and implement a new planning system that allows greater primary sector growth while still protecting the environment.
“This is good news for fishers, recreational, customary and commercial, and aquaculture operators. They will no longer have to suffer uncertainty and confusion caused by overlapping legislation,” said Jones.
“For our wild catch fisheries, the changes will remove the ability of councils to make rules about fishing or fishery resources that are managed under the Fisheries Act, meaning fishing will be managed through one national system.”
Jones added that this has made it simpler for fishers, and councils won’t need to spend time and resources developing fisheries controls that central government will manage more effectively.
While the change affects who can regulate fishing activities, the requirements under the Fisheries Act to manage fishery resources sustainably remain.
“Our fish stocks cross council boundaries so it makes sense to have a nationwide approach for managing them. Our national fisheries system already allows for local communities to actively take part in protecting their rohe moana, this will not change.”
Jones added that the aquaculture sector will also benefit from changes that simplify the consent process for open ocean aquaculture projects, supporting the sector's sustainable and strategic growth.
New Zealand has ambitious goals for aquaculture growth, aiming to reach NZD three billion in annual revenue by 2035.
“Open ocean aquaculture, which has the potential to deliver a large part of this growth, will have a simpler consent process. This includes removing the need to consider outstanding natural landscapes or features, or areas of high natural character, for activities more than three nautical miles offshore.”
The legislation will also enable ministerial decision-making on aquaculture space allocation where appropriate, giving marine farmers more certainty, even before they are granted a consent.
Council fishing rules currently in place and proposed council fishing rules going through council planning processes will continue until all the new system plans are operative, expected to be in 2030.
More aquaculture news here
