- On Wednesday the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, announced incoming changes to fisheries legislation. A key change is shifting to a five-year quota management setting period for target species (as opposed to a fixed annual quota approach), meaning greater flexibility for commercial fishers to manage their quota rights over longer periods. The responsible Minister will also be more clearly able to take into account social, economic and cultural factors when setting quota catch limits. Another point of note is exempting fish catch video footage from being subject to the Official Information Act (i.e. boats will still be filmed and monitored by officials, but the footage will remain private). Given fisheries is a significant industry for Māori, these changes are of note (Pānui 8/2025 discussed the Māori fisheries sector). Details of the reforms are here:
Summary of the latest Government decisions on proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act 1996
- Te Pāti Māori is seeking a judicial review as to whether there should be seven or eight Māori seats at the next election. Seven are proposed but the party is of the view some Māori voters have been wrongfully removed from the Māori electorate roll, and/or had details changed without their consent – thus lowering the count of Māori. The Electoral Commission, however, advises that they have not changed anyone’s electorate details without consent (i.e. a person asking to be moved from one electoral roll to another). However, the Commission has acknowledged some people may have been moved to the ‘dormant’ roll if their address details are not valid or up-to-date.
- Five people have been confirmed as standing for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. These people are:
- Kelyn Alp (NZ Loyal[1]); and
- Peeni Henare (Labour);
- Oriini Kaipara (Te Pāti Māori);
- Sheery-Lee Matene (independent)
- Hannah Tamaki (Vision New Zealand);
- Of these candidates we note in the past Mr Alp has self-described himself as a ‘white man’ – and he is often described in media as being a ‘far right activist’. We are unsure if he has whakapapa Māori. Regardless, since 1967 being Māori has not been a requirement for a person to be a candidate for a Māori seat in Parliament.
- This week the lobby group Hobson’s Pledge acknowledged that they had used images of tāngata Māori to support their campaign against Māori wards, without checking whether those people agreed with their view. There is some debate as to whether they have breached their purchasing rights – on the surface it reads as likely. The group has now offered to apologise to one kuia over the use of her image, given the whakamā/distress created.
[1] NZ Loyal is not presently registered as a political party.
