EELS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW DECADE

Eels getting prepared for smoking by dad. Yum

TREATY SETTLEMENT TENSIONS

This issue on Stuff this morning has the capacity to ignite racial tensions.

We think that this precedent will unnerve the nation as it sets about debating the Foreshore and Seabed legislation.

Ngai Tahu own the Lake Ellesmere lake bed as part of the Ngai Tahu settlement.
They are taxing the eel fishers 8% of the value of the catch which is $360,000 for conservation of the lake. The fishers are also paying to lease eel quota from Ngai Tahu. We think it is a recipe for disaster.

We have some sympathy for Ngai Tahu as the owners they now have responsibilities to maintain their " asset." While we agree that the ownership of the lake bed formed part of the settlement, we just dont think that a regime like this was ever envisaged.

If Ngai Tahu manages the ecological values of the lake bed what is DOC's responsibility re the water and surrounding environs and is Ngai Tahu going to tax farmers for the cost of the damage that run off has caused to the lake and the lake bed??

However Eel fishermen like all fishermen need to recognise that the right to fish comes with responsibilities and that they should be contributing to the ecological upkeep of the lake.

But what are they getting for their $29,000?

Are farmers next?


However it should be noted that Lake Taupo's Tuwharetoa, derives income from Trout fishing permits in Lake Taupo. They own the lake bed and get 50% of the licence fees.

What is interesting here is they are getting money for the recreational harvest of a non native species Trout.

Ngai Tahu is extracting 8% from fishermen who are already paying to lease quota of a native species of which DOC has a responsibility to manage as well.

And we know our wise friend at SEAFIC doesn't scare easy. Nici Gibbs says that fishing rights and interests were not protected when the deal was done.

In a briefing paper to the Lake Ellesmere fishermen, Seafood Industry Council policy manager Nici Gibbs described the situation as "very scary".

She said the Crown, in dealing with foreshore and seabed-type issues, had failed to protect fishing industry rights and interests when settling Maori grievances.

We agree. One of the key principles of Treaty settlements has been that they be established without impacting on commercial interests or creating further grievances.

It appears that this has not happened.

UPDATE : the Christchurch Press has more background here


UPDATE 2 Lambcut seems to think we know feck all about things agrarian. Thats true. So here's what she says:

LAMBCUT said...

LAMBS WITH GUNS; RUN PRAWN RUN

Lambcut thinks BB could be in danger of divisive scaremongering herself by stating farmers have caused run off damage to the Ellesmere Lake and lake bed. Lambcut is not aware of any intensive farming systems operating in the Banks Peninsula area that could cause significant run off problems. The land there is extensively farmed by topographical and climatic necessity; it cannot lend itself to intensive systems. Furthermore, due to the high conservation value placed on the area, there are generous riparian margins around the waterways there. Even in other regions where intensive systems are employed, such generous margins greatly reduce the possibility of significant run off damage occurring.

SEAFOOD INDUSTRY RIDING THE CONFUSED SEA OF INTERNATIONAL TRADING

Stuff has a good round up here today on how the seafood industry is doing in light of the global financial crisis. And it includes some word of wisdom from one of the most affable gentleman in the seafood industry.

Specialist tuna exporter Solander Fisheries was finding the same issues with its two key markets, Japan and the United States.

Solander director Charles Hufflett said their Japanese customers seemed to be going back to basics and the high-end tuna market was feeling it.

"We are definitely seeing a softening; our agents in Tokyo said they [customers] are keeping their purses in their pockets."

Mr Hufflet agreed it was good news the currency had come down and fuel prices were at reasonable levels.

"The fuel in our long lining business was up at 45 per cent of our operating costs, which is just hopeless. We were making a loss."

He said volatility in the exchange rate was a complicating factor. "Last Friday the dollar ranged 8 per cent within the day. That's doubling our profit or wiping it out altogether. "

The optimal situation for fishing companies was with the New Zealand dollar at about 55 on the trade-weighted index, about 10 per cent below where it was now, Mr Hufflett said. The industry had been squeezed of profits for a long time, so he hoped the favourable conditions would persist.

"It's been too long, you can see that here in Nelson; business was slowing down, it was almost becoming a retirement village again. Things have been very tight."

Meurant, Tuna, Split Croatia

Ross Meurant is still in the fish business - he has a close association with a farmed Tuna operation near Split Croatia.





Did he use the $2 million he was paid by some fishing interests for " special operations" to buy himself a lucrative part of this action?

And who is the " Fireman."