Because of this unfortunate situation, the runanga must seek to resume control of the fishing quota. The runanga has no intention of getting into the fishing business in its own right. But it is crucial to the ultimate settlement of the Muriwhenua Claim that fish is part of total settlement. It is not a separate settlement which can be filleted off now. Finances I have taken the liberty of reporting briefly about the annual accounts for the 1985-86 financial year, which are going to audit.
Accounts are available for the past decade.
There has been considerable misinformation in the past about the state of the runanga's finances. These accounts show it to be a careful steward of drastically limited resources. The runanga believes Muriwhenua elders must now assert their full mana and authority in overseeing the claim as it moves towards possible settlement. Elders could invite each tribe to now consider the appointment of suitable persons to represent their tribal interests in negotiations, with the runanga providing the servicing and coordination mechanism. It is crucial the legal status and strength and the capacity of the runanga to serve the claimants is retained.