The former chair of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission says sustainability will be a major challenge for the fishing industry for the next 20 years.
A reception was held in Parliament on Tuesday night to celebrate two decades since the signing of the Deed of Settlement on Fisheries between Maori and the Crown, otherwise known as the Sealord Deal.
Labour MP Shane Jones, a former chair of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission, says the celebration was a reminder that Maori's position in the fishing industry has improved.
But he says looking ahead, the fishing industry and its Maori participants need to be vigilant.
Mr Jones says the industry will only succeed on the quality of its products and by maintaining a brand and reputation that the rest of the world will buy.
