Shared fishery proposal substandard as policy

Maori want the government to kill a proposal to take fishing quota off them an other industry members so recreational fishers can catch more.

Te Ohu Kaimoana trustee Archie Taiaraoa says last week's hui of more than 80 iwi representatives was unanimous in condemning the Shared Fisheries plans.

Mr Taiaroa says the government seems unaware of fishhooks in the Fisheries Ministry's plan, including exposing the Crown to a billion dollar compensation bill across the whole industry, undermining the Maori fisheries settlement, and collapsing support for the quota management system.

He says the fisheries ministry doesn't have the science to back its proposed changes, and it needs to be held to account.

“We're concerned about the whole paper and the whole thing, and what we’re saying is what is there is not good enough,” Mr Taiaroa says.

He says if government wants to improve fisheries management, it could find out how much recreational fishers take, especially those running charter fishing businesses.

MAORI ASKED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE VIEWS

Iwi development expert Willie Te Aho says Maori have a stake in tackling climate change.

Mr Te Aho facilitated a Ministry of the Environment hui at Te Poho O Rawiri marae in Gisborne yesterday aimed at consulting Maori on the government's proposed climate change strategy.

He says any strategy will affect the Maori asset base, and he is urging communities to make their concerns known.

“It's important for Maori because Maori are hugely involved in the primary industries of agriculture and forestry, and those industries have a major role to play not only in the carbon area but the nitrogen area in discharges and emissions into the environment, and that has a major effect on the climate,” Mr Te Aho says.

As individuals Maori can do their part by using their cars less, recycling, improving the energy efficiency of houses, appliances and businesses, and looking for alternatives to fossil fuels.

The next climate change hui will be at Rotorua on Wednesday.

ISLAMIST MP SHOULD HAVE NATURAL ALLIES

Green Party list MP Keith Locke says Maori should be natural supporters of Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe has refused to let Mr Zaoui's wife and four children to join him in Auckland while his security risk status is determined.

Mr Zaoui fled Algeria in 1993 after the army refused to let him and fellow Islamic Salvation Front MPs take their seats in the country's Parliament.

Mr Locke says Maori have a history of giving refuge to people who challenge authority, and they'd be skeptical of the terrorism convictions entered against Mr Zaoui in three countries.

“When Te Kooti was running around the countryside, various iwi gave him refuge, and Maori people have a history of understanding frame-ups too, be it Rua Kenana or Te Whiti or whoever else was chucked in jail framed up. I think they can understand a chap like Ahmed Zaoui was framed up because was against the military dictatorship,” Mr Locke says.

FISH COMPO COULD GO ON TREATY SETTLEMENT BILL

A Te Atiawa fisheries trustee says compensation paid for quota cuts under the government's proposed shared fisheries plan could affect other Waitangi claims.

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has said quota owners, including iwi, would be compensated if his ministry cuts to total available commercial catch to make more fish available for recreational fishers.

But Morrie Love says iwi got their quota as part of a treaty settlement, and they don't want it tampered with.

Mr Love says iwi could be due up to $100 million in compensation.

“If compensation were paid, one of the concerns is, would this compensation to be considered to come out of the fiscal envelope, an additional part of overall settlement of claims. It is of some concern that that might be the case, particularly given the size of compensation that may be needed,” Mr Love says.

He says under that scenario, the government would have to pay Ngai Tahu and Tainui additional compensation because the total treaty settlements will blow out the billion dollar fiscal envelope.

TE KOTAHITANGA LIGHT UNDER BUSHEL

The developer of a teaching system aimed at improving the performance of Maori students in mainstream schools says the Education Ministry is sitting on data proving its success.

Russell Bishop from Waikato University's school of education wants to see his Te Kotahitanga system rolled out to all high schools,

But he says the ministry won't release the achievement rates of Te Kotahitanga students in the 2004 - 2005 year.

He says the data would show people there is no excuse for more than half of Maori boys to leave school with no qualifications.

“The solutions are basically to change the way that teachers relate, and interact with Maori kids in the classrooms. We’re now working with 33 schools, and we’re seeing in these 12 schools we worked in in 2004-05, we’re seeing dramatic changes taking place,” Professor Bishop says.

He says while the Ministry funds Te Kotahitanga, it has to go through the Education Minister to release the results.

ORIGINALITY VALUED IN MAORI MUSIC

One of the perennial debates in the Maori music scene has re-emerged, with the head of Te Matatini national kapa haka festival, Tama Huata coming down on the side of original composition.

Since Maori first adopted western song forms, many composers borrowed popular melodies of the day for their waiata.

In more recent years composers like Te Reo Takiwa Dunne and Pita Sharples have insisted on original melodies to go their words.

Mr Huata says that's the spirit he wants to encourage with the inaugural Maori Music Awards, which will be the curtain raiser to the Te Matatini Festival at the end of next week.

“I'm encouraging our people, for the Maori music awards, that I don’t want demo tapes, I want people to record their music so that it’s going into the industry so it’s helping to lift our levels,” Mr Huata says.