Waatea News Update

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Eight more iwi to get fish assets

Te Ohu Kaimoana Trust has confirmed another eight iwi are ready to receive their share of Maori fisheries settlement assets.

About $60 million in shares, cash and deepwater quota will be handed over initially, based on iwi population.

Some $23 million will go to Te Arawa, $17 million to neighbours Tuhoe, $8 million to the Taranaki branch of Te Atiawa and $3.5 million to Taranaki itself.

Ngati Raukawa ki Waikato will get $5 million in assets, and Ngati Pukenga and Ngaitai from the Bay of Plenty and Nelson-based Ngati Tama will get smaller sums.

Te Ohu Kaimoana chief executive Peter Douglas says as assets are transferred, the trust's role will change.

“The things that we’re going to focus our attention on in the next few month, the next few years, is making sure the assets we are transferring are as valuable as they might be, so we’re going to play a greater role in the fisheries management regimes that exist in the country,” Douglas said.

Peter Douglas says 60 percent of the fisheries settlement assets have now been allocated to 34 iwi, and the trust is confident the remaining 22 iwi can complete the mandating process by April 2007.

DAME TE ATA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Waikato University students Richard Webber and Shannan Mills and this year's winners of the Environment Waikato has Dame Te Atairangikaahu Scholarships.

The scholarships are awarded to Maori students undertaking resource management degreess at the university.

Ms Mills, from Te Whanau-a-Apanui, is in her fourth year of a double degree in science and law.

Mr Webber, from Ngati Kahungunu, is doing a Bachelor of Social Science degree majoring in geography and Maori.

He says he wants to use his studies to help other Maori.

The students each win $2000 and are offered the opportunity to work at Environment Waikato during the summer break.

ZEALAND PAST ITS USE BY DATE

Maori Language Commission chief executive Haami Piripi is supporting a call to rename the country Aotearoa.

Wellington toponymic George Holmes argues the name New Zealand, conferred by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman 360 years ago has passed its use by date.

Mr Piripi says a Maori name would be a unifying force for this country:

“The term Aotearoa is an ancient term of course, arrived with Kupe, so it has huge credibility as a term of usage in Aotearoa since about 600 AD, so even in terms of usage and historical association, the term Aotearoa far outstrips the term New Zealand,” Piripi said.

TUHOE TAIHOA CALL REJECTED

Te Ohu Kaimoana Trust has rejected a call from a Tuhoe group to withhold Maori fisheries settlement assets from the Bay of Plenty tribe until it can resolve internal divisions.

Te Ohu Kaimoana has confirmed the Tuhoe Fisheries Charitable Trust has the mandate to receive $17 million in quota, cash and shares on behalf of the iwi.

Chief executive Peter Douglas says Te Kotahi a Tuhoe, which opposes the handover, was unable to win enough support to derail the deal.

He says the charitable trust won its mandating ballot by 87 percent.

“We're required when an iwi organisation has all the information, and provides the evidence of that information, that they are ready to be mandated as the iwi organisation for that tribe, to take them seriously and fulfill the requirements of our act. Now the Tuhoe Fisheries Charitable Trust had completed all that was required of them. It would be remiss of us if we were to ignore that,” Douglas said.


Peter Douglas says 60 percent of the commission's assets have now been allocated to 34 mandated iwi organisations.

STORM WARNING FROM SUMMER SALMON

A Waikato University masters student says a warning system which predict the effects of coastal storms could help Maori involved in environmental and heritage management.

Summer Salmon from Ngati Paoa and Ngati Raukawa has received a $10,000 a year Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowship from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology to develop a mathematical model of storm damage.

Ms Salmon says she is working with the National Institute for Water and Atmosphere on making her work accessible.

“NIWA is working with me as well and they are hoping to put up a website where not only scientists but hopefully the general public will be able to access so they’ll be able to see what is coming they’ll be able to forecast whether there is going to be any storm events occurring,” Summer said.


Summer Salmon says knowing the likely effects of storms could help iwi protect coastal wahi tapu or important kaimoana grounds.

BARTERCARD CUP FINAL

It's not often the final of a national sporting championship is played on a Monday Night, but that's what's happening tonight in Auckland.

The Canterbury Bulls will take on the Auckland Lions at Mount Smart Stadium to determine who takes home the Bartercard Cup, Rugby League's premier domestic competition.

It's played on a Monday night because that's when Maori Televison has broadcast a live game every week for the past six months.

Executive producer for sport Baily Mackie says it's part of a plan to build a wider audience for the Maori channel, and league was an ideal match.

Baily Macky says Maori Television has also secured the replay rights for the Tri Nations series starting early next month.

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