Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Appendices
reporting on RAG recommendations, conclusions and action items, and ensuring followup;
and communicating with relevant MFish managers.
27. The Chair is responsible for facilitating consultative and collaborative discussions.
Decision-making
28. The Chair is responsible for working towards an agreed view of the RAG members on their
recommendations to the fisheries manager, but where that proves not to be possible then the
Chair is responsible for determining the final recommendation. Minority views should be
clearly represented in proposals in those cases.
29. A record of recommendations, conclusions and action items will be circulated by e-mail after
each meeting by the Chair.
30. Each RAG round will be evaluated by MFish, with a view to identifying opportunities to
improve the process. The Terms of Reference may be updated as part of this review.
Non-disclosure agreements
31. Participants may be asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement relating to documents that
disclose cost details.
Conflicts of Interest
32. New Zealand is a small country and fisheries research is a relatively limited market, even
internationally. People with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate in this advisory
process may also have close working relationships with industry, research providers and other
stakeholders. This will apply to nearly all external members of a RAG.
33. Participants will be asked to declare any “actual, perceived or likely conflicts of interest”
before involvement in a RAG is approved, and any new conflicts that arise during the process
should be declared immediately. These will be clearly documented by the Chair.
34. Management of conflicts of interest will be determined by the Chair in consultation with
Fisheries Managers, and approved by the Deputy Chief Executive, Fisheries Management
prior to meetings commencing.
Frequency of Meetings
35. Relevant MFish managers, in consultation with the Chair of the RAG, will decide on the
frequency and timing of RAG meetings.
Documents and record-keeping
36. Unless signalled by the Chair, all RAG documents (papers, agendas, formal records of
recommendations, conclusions and action items) will be available to all interested parties
through the Ministry of fisheries website (www.fish.govt.nz), except where confidentiality is
required for reasons of commercial sensitivity (e.g. cost estimates).
37. RAG documents will be distributed securely.
38. Participants who use RAG papers inappropriately may not be invited to subsequent RAG
meetings.
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