1 May 2015

Keep fisheries body, says Ngāpuhi

6:47 am on 1 May 2015

Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-O-Ngāpuhi says a proposal to abolish the Maori fisheries body - Te Ohu Kaimoana - is very short-sighted.

A file photo of gleaming small fish

Photo: 123rf

The suggestion was made in a scheduled review of the organisation by barrister Tim Castles.

Ngāpuhi said it still needed a body to represent and advocate for Māori fisheries issues in policy and legislative changes.

Its rūnanga said no single organisation was better able to do that for Maori than Te Ohu Kaimoana.

It said it would be a short-sighted move to drop the organisation, when Maori have been in the business of fishing forever.

Proposals from the review are being debated by iwi throughout the motu.

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