Delay to fishery report raises iwi ire

By IRENE CHAPPLE

Delays in the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission's report on the allocation of $700 million in fisheries assets are raising hackles with the plan's most powerful dissenter, the Iwi Forum.

A meeting will be held today between the forum and the commission's chief executive, Robin Hapi, for an update on why the report will be produced more than a month later than planned.

Ngai Tahu chairman Mark Solomon, a member of the forum, said he wanted answers from the commission on why the report was being delayed.

Ngai Tahu was waiting on the report, which includes draft legislation, to see how the commission has responded to Iwi Forum concerns.

The forum - made up of the influential Ngai Tahu and Ngati Porou tribes, among others - last year consented to the allocation plan being presented to the Government despite holding reservations about its structure.

Ngai Tahu is upset particularly with the allocation proposal for deepwater fisheries, which it believes is biased against the iwi.

Other issues irritating the forum are the suggested iwi ownership through shares and the role of the proposed electoral college, which will appoint commissioners to the commission's successor, Te Ohu Kai Moana.

The timeframe after which the legislation will be reviewed is also a point of contention. It is currently settled at 12 years, a compromise for both the commission and the forum, who wanted 25 and five years respectively.

The report has been held up due to various "legal issues", says the commission's communications manager Glenn Inwood.

He said there was nothing "salacious" about the delay but issues had emerged over things like ownership of quota.

Inwood said the commission had responded to various iwi concerned about the delay, and had answered all queries.

The commission is drafting a new Maori Fisheries Act which would legislate for the allocation of commercial fishing assets.

In its various forms the commission has been minding the assets - which include quota, cash and fishing company shares - since 1989.

Last year's majority acceptance of the commission's allocation plan was hailed as a breakthrough for Maori.

"While the delay is regrettable," said Inwood, "we believe that the extra few weeks to complete the report are little sacrifice, given it has taken about 14 years since the interim settlement of Maori commercial fisheries to get where we are today."

Late last year, the commission announced it would produce a report - called "Full Particulars" - which would provide details of the allocation proposal.

The report's release to iwi and parties involved in litigation against the commission was planned for late January, but is now unlikely to be produced before early March.

Parties taking previous litigation against the commission would get 20 working days to look over the report before it was presented to the Government.