An Indigenous-led Community Challenge to Fisheries Management in New Zealand: the Revival of Regional Scale Management Practices?

Abstract

Marine, coastal and freshwater fisheries are culturally, ecologically, recreationally and economically important in New Zealand (NZ) and across the world. Over-exploitation of stocks has resulted in declining catches, particularly in the last 50 years, which has signalled the need for strategies to protect these valuable resources, while allowing sustainable exploitation (Pauly 1995; Jackson et. al. 2001; Myers and Worm 2003; Hutchings and Reynolds 2004; Hilborn 2006, 2007). This article outlines an ambitious and novel community-led approach to engage regional stakeholders in local fisheries management, initiated and led by Ngâti Kahungunu (a Mâori iwi or tribal grouping) in NZ. This initiative is a significant move away from today?s highly centralised national form of fisheries management, and is a step towards a regional form of management that is led by the community for the benefit of the community (e.g., Govan et al. 2006). As such, this proposal represents a challenge to modern management practices, but more importantly it may represent the future for the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources.