Minister for Oceans and Fisheries

The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is a minister in the New Zealand Government responsible for the management of New Zealand's fisheries, including aquaculture, and for oceans policy.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries
Coat of arms of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand
Incumbent Shane Jones since 27 November 2023
Ministry for Primary Industries
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Cabinet of New Zealand Executive Council
Reports to	Prime Minister of New Zealand
Appointer	Governor-General of New Zealand
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	8 March 1977
First holder	Jim Bolger
Salary	$288,900[1]
Website	www.beehive.govt.nz

The present minister is Shane Jones, a member of the New Zealand First party.^[2]

Responsibilities

The Minister oversees Fisheries New Zealand, a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries (previously, the Ministry of Fisheries).

The Minister has responsibility for legislation related to fisheries, including the Fisheries Act 1996, the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, the Maori Fisheries Act 2004 and the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992.^[3]

History

The position was established in 1977 during the Muldoon government. Previously, responsibility for fisheries was exercised by the Minister of Marine until 1972 and by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries until 1977. For a brief period from 2010 to 2011, the portfolio was known as Fisheries and Aquaculture. From 2011 until 2017, it was combined with related portfolios into the Minister for Primary Industries.

The title change to Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in 2020 was intended to balance commercial and environmental issues.^[4] Responsibility for oceans policy was previously in the remit of the Minister of Conservation.^[5]

List of ministers

The following ministers held the office of Minister of Fisheries.^[6]

Key

  Labour   National   Progressive   NZ First

No.		Name	Portrait	Term of Office		Prime Minister
As Minister of Fisheries
	1	Jim Bolger		8 March 1977	13 December 1978		Muldoon
	2	Duncan MacIntyre		13 December 1978	26 July 1984
	3	Colin Moyle		26 July 1984	9 February 1990		Lange
							Palmer
	4	Ken Shirley		9 February 1990	2 November 1990
							Moore
	5	Doug Kidd		2 November 1990	16 December 1996		Bolger
	6	John Luxton[nb 1]		16 December 1996	10 December 1999
							Shipley
	7	Pete Hodgson		10 December 1999	26 February 2004		Clark
	8	David Benson-Pope		26 February 2004	19 October 2005
	9	Jim Anderton		19 October 2005	19 November 2008
	10	Phil Heatley		19 November 2008	25 February 2010		Key
	-	David Carter Acting		25 February 2010	1 April 2010
As Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture
	(10)	Phil Heatley		1 April 2010	14 December 2011		Key
2011–2017: No separate appointments (see Minister for Primary Industries)
	11	Stuart Nash		26 October 2017	6 November 2020		Ardern
As Minister for Oceans and Fisheries
	12	David Parker		6 November 2020	1 February 2023		Ardern
							Hipkins
	(11)	Stuart Nash		1 February 2023	28 March 2023
	-	David Parker Acting		28 March 2023	12 April 2023
	13	Rachel Brooking		12 April 2023	27 November 2023
	14	Shane Jones		27 November 2023	Incumbent		Luxon

Table footnotes:

1. as Minister of Food, Fibre and Biosecurity from 31 August 1998

See also

• Aquaculture in New Zealand
• Fishing industry in New Zealand

Notes

1. "Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Determination 2016" (PDF). Parliament.nz. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
2. "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
3. "Oceans and Fisheries | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
4. Small, Vernon (5 December 2023). "Back to the future with Shane Jones: Same office, new pitch". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
5. Daalder, Marc (7 January 2023). "Ocean Minister's progress after two years in job". Newsroom. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
6. Wilson 1985, pp. 94–98.

References

• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.