Consultation on the draft plan for allocating emission units to the fishing sector is underway.

The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme is a key part of the Government's response to global climate change. The Climate Response Act 2002 requires the Government to give some fishing quota owners a one-off allocation of tradable emission units to compensate for the effect of increased fuel costs on the value of quota.

The people who are eligible to receive an allocation of emission units are those shown on the quota register as owners of fishing quota at the end of the day on 24 September 2009 and in some instances successors to those quota owners.

The Government has released a consultation document as a first step in the process of allocating emission units to fishing quota owners. The consultation document contains the Draft Fishing Allocation Plan which proposes some rules for allocating the emission units. The Government is seeking feedback on these rules.

The consultation document, including information on how to make a submission, is available here.

Submissions close on 26 April 2010. Please ensure you get your submission in by that time.

For more information, see the Climate Change website (www.climatechange.govt.nz) or email fishing@climatechange.govt.nz or phone 0800 CLIMATE (0800 254 628).