Iwi from across Te Moana-a-Toi (Bay of Plenty) gathered in Ōpōtiki this week to sign a historic Regional Aquaculture Agreement, delivering the Crown’s New Space Obligations under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004.
The agreement unites 12 iwi, the Crown, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Te Ohu Kaimoana, unlocking 5,000 hectares of authorised aquaculture space valued at $35 million, supported by $1 million in Crown funding to assist with resource consenting.
For Te Tāwharau o te Whakatōhea chief executive Dickie Farrar, the signing fulfils a vision shared 15 years ago by 93-year-old Whakatōhea kaumātua Robert Edwards.
“This is a culmination of 15 to 20 years’ worth of work, Robert came to me all those years ago with a vision of developing the marine space for our people,
“I’m so happy that he gets to see his vision fulfilled… developing this into a strategy that will benefit all Whakatōhea mokopuna, the collective iwi and the region itself,” says Farrar.
Beyond the economic assets, leaders say the true value lies in kotahitanga (unity). Iwi Aquaculture Working Group chair Peter Rice said collaboration was essential to the journey.
“The first prize we’ve got is working together. Without working together, the settlement’s worth almost nothing in many ways,
“It’s all about the outcomes we want to see our people having. We want them to be wealthy but wealthy in so many ways, not just monetary gain, but jobs, Iwi pride and hauora,” says Rice.
Robert Edwards said while the signing ends one journey, it also begins a new haerenga to build a sustainable aquaculture industry.
“In doing so, we must make sure we bear in mind our tikanga, the environment, and the sustainability of the whole project. If we were to ruin it, there’d be no future for our mokopuna of the future,” says Edwards.
The agreement aligns with the Crown’s Aquaculture Development Plan, which targets $3 billion in annual revenue by 2035. With resource consenting and business planning now underway, Farrar believes the future is in good hands.
“It’s going to be a new leadership that picks that dream up...We’ve found them, our rangatahi are amazing… Our job is done when we pass the baton on,” says Farrah.
