What qualifies me to talk about Maori economic development?

You might be wondering how it is that I am qualified to talk about Maori economic development so here it is;
First and foremost I am a Maori land owner. Anyone who still has Maori land knows the difficulties in trying to make a buck from it. As a family we have invested approximately 1.5 million dollars in time and in-kind labor, into our aquaculture venture. As a business we have invested approximately $600,000 of cash into our pilot operations.

Since we initiated the operation, there have been a number of government legislative interventions that have affected our success. These include; The fore shore and seabed act. The introduction of seaweed into the quota management system, aquaculture moratoriums and subsequent aquaculture management areas.

However I don't think we can blame the government for the failure of our small business. If our paua farm was viable in its present form I would still be pursuing it. Thats life. I have learned and grown from the experience.