Blame apportioned for lack of new marine farms

NEW ZEALAND - Fisheries minister Jim Anderton has suggested he wants more control over the allocation of new space for marine farms.

No new aquaculture management areas (AMAs) have been set up since legislation reforming the industry was passed.

This means that the Government may end up paying compensation to Maori if there is no progress by 2013 as they will not be getting entitlements promised to them.

Fisheries legislation in 2004 followed a three-year moratorium on applications for new marine farms and it also gave Maori 20 per cent of marine farming allocated since 1992 and 20 per cent of any new space.

At the time then Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope said the delayed lifting of the moratorium would mean the $1 billion-a-year potential of the aquaculture industry could now be realised.

The new Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton told MPs that no AMAs had been set up and he appeared to blame local government and the industry for the slow progress.

Source: Stuff