Māpuna for Saturday 24 September 2022
30th anniversary of the Sealords Deal
This week was 30 years since the signing of the Maori Fisheries Settlement. In this special episode of Mapuna we reflect on three decades since that signing on the 23rd of September 1992. It also became known as the Sealords Deal, giving Maori a 50-percent stake in the Sealords fishing company and, for all time, Maori commercial fishing rights and interests were settled. But it also set in motion years of debate and litigation as Maori leaders, iwi and hapu wrestled with the best way to manage fishing resources. Julian Wilcox hosts a panel discussion at Te Papa in Wellington featuring Shane Jones, Whaimutu Dewes, Dame Naida Glavish, and Sir Matiu Rei.
The debates were fierce and now 'they've mellowed'
Chris Wikaira was the Maori Issues correspondent at RNZ in the late 1990s during years of argument over how to allocate fishing quota to iwi and Urban Maori Authorities also joined the fray wanting a share of fishing assets. He says the panel discussion featured some of the big players from the 1990s but now 'they've mellowed' because the debates back then were 'very fierce.'