Deciding on customary use? An analysis of conflicting values in customary use decision making

Abstract

Customary use of resources by Maori has recently become the focus of public debate due to the opposition of environmentalists to the desire by Maori to reassert their rights to harvest resources such as the kereru, toroa and pingao. This study focuses on the values underlying the arguments of both Maori and environmentalists and questions the extent to which these values are accounted for in the customary use decision making process. It finds that there is less provision for Maori values to be accounted for in the customary use decision making process than those of environmentalists.