Ministry of Fisheries (New Zealand)

Ministry of Fisheries
Te Tautiaki i nga tini a Tangaroa
Ministry of Fisheries logo
Agency overview
Jurisdiction New Zealand
Minister responsible David Carter, Minister for Primary Industries
Agency executive Wayne McNee, Chief Executive
Parent agency Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Website
http://www.fish.govt.nz/

The Ministry of Fisheries (Māori: Te Tautiaki i nga tini a Tangaroa), also known by its acronym MFish, is a state sector organisation of New Zealand whose role is ensuring the sustainable utilisation of fisheries. This involves conserving, using, enhancing and developing New Zealand's fisheries resources. New Zealand's Minister for Primary Industries is David Carter. The Ministry's 2008/09 operating budget is $94.5 million [1].

Contents

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 MAF, New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, 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. On 1 July 2011 the Ministry of Fisheries was merged back into MAF.

Responsibilities

The Ministry is primarily responsible for fisheries management within New Zealand's 200-nautical-mile (400 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It tries to ensure that fisheries are sustainably used within a healthy aquatic ecosystem, and employs approximately 432 staff [2] throughout New Zealand, most of who police fisheries to ensure compliance with the conservation and access/allocation rules, set by Government. MFish also undertakes fisheries research to provide information needed to determine how many fish and other marine organisms (of various species) can be safely taken while ensuring the sustainability of the resource.

See also

Notes

1. Budget 2008/09 (excl GST) MFish Facts and Figures.
2. Staff (March 2008)(FTEs) MFish Facts and Figures.
3. Fisheries, Ministry of. "Research: Links". http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/default.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-30. 

References

External links