Maori fisheries trust Te Ohu Kaimoana is disappointed the Government has dropped iwi exemptions to new laws stopping the use of foreign fishing boats, it says.
The Government on Tuesday night introduced changes to the Fisheries Bill to include iwi in the requirements, clamping down on the mistreatment of foreign crews.
Iwi operators were originally given until 2020 to adopt the rules.
Te Ohu Kaimoana said Maori had about 17 percent of deep water quota which were caught by a range of vessels, including foreign ships.
Chief executive Peter Douglas said while iwi did not oppose the kaupapa, the extra time had been to recognised that Maori were new to the sector and could take longer to make the transition.
Labour Party MP Shane Jones said iwi did not have the money to develop the vessels to go out and catch all their fish, so they would have to work with companies.
The challenge for Maori and the Crown was whether the law would undermine Maori fisheries and make their quota worthless, Mr Jones said.
He believed Maori should consolidate their fishing quotas so they could afford new fishing vessels.
