How to indigenise the blue economy in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Māori, as substantial stakeholders in the fishery sector, must play a major role in any imagined or proposed transition to a blue economy. This paper provides the results from a project examining how to indigenise the blue economy in Aotearoa New Zealand, outlining the underlying theory and providing results from five case studies. The paper explores three key thematic constraints identified in consultation with the Māori fishing sector, namely: centralisation of power; quota fragmentation; and product commodification. It concludes that there is a need to focus on: redressing the imbalance between iwi and hapū by providing quota for hapū while providing wrap around financial and capacity support, incorporating local experts in decision making, and creating community clusters; overcoming fragmentation through joint ventures and hybrid governance structures and a focus on quota optimisation; and increasing market differentiation through research, innovation, and branding and marketing initiatives.