The Ministry of Fisheries (

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

: ''Te Tautiaki i nga tini a Tangaroa''), also known by its acronym MFish, was a state sector organisation of New Zealand whose role is ensuring the sustainable utilisation of

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

. It was merged into the Ministry of Primary Industries in April 2012. Its purpose was conserving, using, enhancing and developing New Zealand's fisheries resources.

History

The Ministry of Fisheries was established as a stand-alone agency in 1995, after a major governmental review of fisheries legislation, as well as ongoing reforms in the New Zealand State Sector. Previously, responsibility for fisheries belonged to

New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (in Māori, ''Te Manatu Ahuwhenua, Ngāherehere'') was a state sector organisation of New Zealand which dealt with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity. It was commonly known by its ...

(MAF), which later became New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry when the Ministry of Forestry merged with the remaining Ministry of Agriculture in 1998. Under the Fifth National Government, the Ministry of Fisheries was merged back into MAF from 1 July 2011, and then into the

Ministry for Primary Industries The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI; ) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with overseeing, managing and regulating the farming, fishing, food, animal welfare, biosecurity, and forestry sectors of New Zealand's primary ...

(MPI) in 2012. The subsequent Labour-led government has announced it would break up MPI and has re-established the portfolio of Minister of Fisheries. However, MPI was not disestablished; instead, it was restructured with Fisheries New Zealand established as a new business group within the larger agency.

Responsibilities

The Ministry was primarily responsible for

fisheries management The management of fisheries is broadly defined as the set of tasks which guide vested parties and managers in the optimal use of aquatic renewable resources, primarily fish. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation ...

within New Zealand's

Exclusive Economic Zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

(EEZ). It aimed to ensure that fisheries are sustainably used within a healthy aquatic

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

. MFish also undertook fisheries

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

to provide information needed to determine how many

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

and other marine organisms (of various species) could be safely taken while ensuring the

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

of the resource.

Notes

1. Budget 2008/09 (excl GST
MFish Facts and Figures

2. Staff (March 2008)(FTEs

3.

References

External links

Ministry for Primary Industries - Fisheries

NZ Fisheries InfoSite
- It provides information on our fisheries and marine environment, explains how fisheries are managed for long-term sustainability, and describes New Zealands fisheries in a global context.
NABIS
- Provides spatial & visual representations of New Zealand marine biological & fisheries management data.

- An online learning resource for teachers and students.

- Provides fishing rules for the New Zealand recreational fishery management areas.
New Zealand Fisheries Management Research Database
- Available for research & analysis of NZ fisheries management information. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Fisheries (New Zealand)

Fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

Nature conservation in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Specialist law enforcement agencies of New Zealand Ministries established in 1995 Ministries disestablished in 2013

History

Responsibilities

See also

Notes

References

External links