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Media Release – 3 July 2020

Posted on by benn


Public contempt for Government inaction on fishing boat cameras

Media release
1 July 2020                                                                            

Six years after the Government first promised cameras onboard commercial fishing boats to prevent dumping and protect vulnerable species, there are fewer than 100 vessels outfitted with the technology.

A Newshub investigation broadcast last night revealed an “explosive” recording in 2018 of Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash blaming NZ First’s Winston Peters and Shane Jones for the delay in fitting cameras on around 1000 boats.

A 2019 Horizon Research poll showed 69% of New Zealanders think not enough is being done to stop dumping of unwanted catch by commercial fishers.

“The Government cannot ignore the public’s increasing frustration for those running interference and preventing Ministers from fulfilling their duties. The protection of bycatch species and monitoring dumping are core roles of Minister Nash and Fisheries New Zealand,” says Sam Woolford from public awareness group LegaSea.

“The Minister must be free to make decisions in the interests of rebuilding depleted fisheries for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Electronic monitoring is one element that can be readily addressed,” says Mr Woolford.
 
LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council recently released a plan named Rescue Fish that addresses the current regulatory capture where the industry and its regulatory body are too closely aligned and have the ability to sway political decision-making.
 
LegaSea spokesperson Sam Woolford says the Rescue Fish policy is an alternative to the Quota Management System (QMS) because the current situation is no longer acceptable.

“Over time fisheries management has become highly political. The QMS is clearly not functioning effectively. Our Rescue Fish policy is designed so there can be no outside influence of decision-making. All decisions will be based on strong principles and more effective legislation,” says Mr Woolford.

“Given past donations and NZ First’s ties to Talleys and other fishing companies it is important that we see a degree of separation from the decision-making processes”.
 
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council President Bob Gutsell commended Newshub journalist Michael Morrah for breaking the news story wide open so the public can see what is going on behind closed doors.
 
“Clearly the QMS has had its day. It is not fit for purpose any longer and needs to be replaced. In good faith we have developed the Rescue Fish alternative so we can initiate the discussion on what a new fisheries management system might look like,” says Mr Gutsell. 

To address any cost issues, the Rescue Fish policy proposes the Government own and control the monitoring equipment. Costs will be recovered through a new permitting system.

The groups say that any system that is able to be undermined in such a serious way needs reform and are calling on the Government to start a work programme as soon as possible to map out the reforms.

Public support for policy change is being sought through a petition and more information can be found on the Rescue Fish website.
 
 ENDS

 
Newshub Michael Morrah story
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/06/fisheries-minister-stuart-nash-blames-pressure-from-nz-first-for-delay-in-fishing-boat-cameras-in-recording.html

Rescue Fish policy. May 2020
https://rescuefish.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Rescue-Fish-policy-May-2020.pdf

Petition
LegaSea has created a petition that encourages support for reforms to replace the Quota Management System, which will result in a ban of coastal trawling, the creation of a healthier marine environment, boosted regional economies and enhanced food security. May 2020.

About LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council
LegaSea is a not-for-profit organisation established by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council in 2012. The Council has 55 member clubs with 36,200 affiliates. LegaSea’s core roles are to elevate public awareness of the issues affecting New Zealand’s marine environment and to inspire public support to effect positive change. Its primary mission is to restore New Zealand’s coastal fisheries. The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council advocates for the responsible and sustainable management of New Zealand’s marine resources. To achieve its goals the Council funds education initiatives, commissions and funds relevant research projects, participates and contributes to fisheries management decisions.

Research
Horizon Research Fisheries Policy survey, May 23-31, 2019. 1,083 respondents 18+ years. Maximum margin of error +/- 3%.
https://rescuefish.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Horizon-Survey-Fisheries-Policy-June-2019.pdf

Talley letter
Letter from Talley Director, Andrew Talley, to MPI Director of Fisheries Management Stuart Anderson. 2 July 2018
https://rescuefish.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Talley-cameras-discards-2-July-2018.pdf

Rescue Fish reforms released. Rescue Fish. 28 May 2020

Posted on by Trish Rea

Media release: Plan released to restore fish stocks and revitalise New Zealand’s commercial fishing sector – Rescue Fish

28 May 2020

Sweeping changes proposed to fisheries policy to benefit future generations and pump much needed cash into the regions.

Restoring abundance to New Zealand’s coastal fisheries and stimulating regional economies are two objectives of the ‘Rescue Fish’ policy reform launched today by public awareness group LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. The groups say change is needed urgently to address fish depletion and biodiversity loss.

LegaSea spokesperson Sam Woolford says the Rescue Fish policy seeks to ensure the supply of kai moana for future generations of Kiwis while providing much needed income and jobs for regional New Zealanders.

The reform challenges several elements of the government’s existing fishery policy; a policy that has allowed New Zealand’s coastal fisheries to decline over the past 30 years, some to crisis levels.

“The Rescue Fish policy is an alternative to the current Quota Management System (QMS), which has failed in its intended purpose. Quota is now largely owned by a handful of corporate entities, while returns have been minimised for those doing the fishing. Consequently, commercial fishing has been reduced to using low cost bulk harvesting methods, and regional communities have lost their ability to survive,” says Mr Woolford.

“Simply put, Rescue Fish means more fish in the sea. After three decades of QMS depletion, our fisheries are in crisis. Change is needed to prioritise and protect our coastal fisheries.

“Without a healthy and abundant marine environment, commercial profits will continue to fall, Māori will continue to lose out both culturally and commercially, and amateur fishers will increasingly struggle to find kai moana in the places they normally fish.”

The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council President Bob Gutsell says the Council commissioned the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) to assess the current QMS and the proposed Rescue Fish policy alternative.

“NZIER concluded that the current regime has not produced the promised results. The incentives on individual fishers are not aligned to the stewardship of the sea. And after 30 years’ application of the QMS, some fisheries are under considerable pressure.  Fishing is having clear impacts on other parts of the environment and bycatch is not resolved.

“NZIER went on to say that our proposal was worthy of further development and consideration by Ministers, Māori, all fishers, environmental NGOs, academics and the public, and ought to form the basis of further policy development,” says Mr Gutsell.

The Rescue Fish policy and recommendations have been developed over several years by a team of local and internationally renowned marine scientists, social science experts, economists and fisheries management specialists.

The recommendations presented to Government include:

  • The Crown to buy back all existing rights to fish at fair value.
  • A new independent Authority to be established to set catch limits based on independent scientific research.
  • Maori and the Crown to share governance.
  • A new Fisheries Act be established.
  • Catch limits to be reset at a lower level to ensure fish stocks can recover.
  • Fixed term commercial permits to be sold via a tender process.
  • Payment to the Crown will be a resource rental based on landed catch.
  • Industrial fishing techniques such as inshore bottom trawling and dredging to be banned.
  • Independent monitoring of commercial fishing to validate catches and protect vulnerable species. Monitoring systems and cameras to apply to all vessels.

“The focus of the Rescue Fish policy will be on encouraging smaller scale, artisanal commercial fishing to boost our Māori and regional economies,” says Mr Gutsell.

The Rescue Fish reform prioritises food security, recognising that many Kiwis depend on fishing to feed their families and recognises fish as a local, healthy and culturally valued food. LegaSea says there is overwhelming support for change by the public, who are alarmed at the state of New Zealand’s fisheries. That support is the impetus behind why the groups have developed the policy.

“We are presenting a holistic solution to address depleted fish stocks and biodiversity loss. The Government is looking for ways to stimulate regional economies and Rescue Fish policy reforms provide that, while also providing strong social and environmental benefits. Implementation of the new policy will make our marine environment more productive, for the benefit of all New Zealanders including those in the commercial fishing sector,” says Mr Woolford.

The Rescue Fish policy was presented to the Prime Minister, Ministers Davis, Robertson, Parker and Nash in April 2020. Public support is being sought through a petition and more information can be found on the Rescue Fish website.

The madness of the QMS

Posted on by benn

The madness of the QMS

The Quota Management System has short-changed fish, mana whenua and the public since it was established in 1986.

The system was set up with the quota owners having to pay resource rentals. This only lasted a few years. For the past 30 years the commercial fishing industry has not paid for the use of these publicly-owned resources.

“Incredibly, we gave away most of our fisheries at no charge,” said LegaSea spokesman Scott Macindoe. “Perpetual property rights were created out of thin air, fully transferable and tax-free. Those who did the most damage to our fish stocks were the ones who reaped the greatest rewards.

“The public is getting such a raw deal. The promised rebuilds have simply not happened. One species after another is suffering the ‘sustainable depletion’ that inevitably occurs after decades of chasing the mythical ‘maximum sustainable yield’ that the QMS is driven by.”

Macindoe said the QMS had failed both coastal fish populations and those depending on fisheries for their livelihoods.

“To usher in the QMS thousands of artisanal part-time fishermen lost their permits. This had a devastating effect on small, regional communities. Some coastal towns in the Far North and on the East Coast have never recovered. The process to revoke fishing permits had a disproportionate effect on Māori, many of whom fished when the season was right and then worked elsewhere in the off-season. They were the source of good healthy food for their communities. We sure miss these whānau businesses today.”

When the government attempted to introduce new species into the QMS in 1987, Māori challenged the process and eventually settled commercial claims in 1992 with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi Settlement Deed.

“Māori non-commercial interests in fishing, both customary and recreational, are still affected today by the lack of fish in the water. When Māori are fishing to feed the whānau this is classified as recreational fishing. Research shows that 52% of Māori who fish in the sea say they rely on fishing to feed their families, compared with 27% of the adult population overall.

“Having access to abundant fish stocks is fundamental in providing for both Māori and the public’s interests in fisheries. However, often as not the pathways to abundance are blocked by quota owners wielding so much influence over fisheries management and marine protection matters.”

In his role as LegaSea support and alignment specialist, Macindoe has frequent conversations with people who are frustrated by their inability to have an area set aside for conservation, to remove the indiscriminate and destructive bottom trawling and dredging from our sensitive and highly productive inshore zones or to simply have excessive catch allocations reduced.

“Just 10 entities own 78% of all quota shares today. New Zealand is being held to ransom by a handful of organisations clinging to the status quo. They are dominating the management processes at a great cost to all New Zealanders.

“If we want a future where fisheries are restored to abundance, the QMS has to go.”

The Quota Management System: the sustainable depletion of our fish stocks

  • 100 entities own 90% of all quota shares.
  • Over 90% of all fish caught in New Zealand waters is harvested by commercial fishers.
  • 400,000 tonnes of total allowable catch recorded per year is taken commercially.
  • Just 3% of total allowable catch from New Zealand waters is due to recreational fishing.
  • Thousands of tonnes of fish are exported for less than $3 per kilo, with no added value to New Zealand.
  • ‘Sustainable’ catch limits defined as 20% of original biomass when 40% is the management default (with a few exceptions in the Fisheries Act).
  • As at 2019, 56% of the targeted fish stocks are NOT scientifically assessed.

No alibi for depleted fish stocks

Posted on by [email protected]

No alibi for depleted fish stocks

Crayfish are an important species in the marine ecosystem so when we hear stories from experienced divers in the eastern Bay of Plenty who have only taken three crays in two years it’s pretty scary for all of us.

Photo by Sam Wild

Over January and February we worked with Spearfishing New Zealand to develop a submission responding to proposals that sought to change the commercial catch levels of crayfish in three management areas, from Gisborne to Fiordland. Together we made nine recommendations that seek to rebuild depleted stocks. We called on the Minister, Stuart Nash, to be precautionary and manage our crayfish stocks in the national interest, not just for maximum commercial exploitation. Nash is due to make a decision before April.

Depleted crayfish stock have a ripple effect above and below the waterline. Depletion means crayfish can no longer carry out their function as a predator and guardian of the reefs. By the time that humans notice the depletion the stock has already declined to an unnatural state.

It is difficult and takes longer to rebuild stocks from a low level than if managers did the sensible thing and maintained stocks at higher levels. This is one of the reasons why we opposed the Ministry’s planned 61 tonne increase to the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) in the Hawke’s Bay to Wellington region (CRA 4). This is excessive given that CRA 4 is rebuilding from a low base and that the Minister needs to be precautionary. We recommended the Minister apply a 30 tonne cap to future TACC increases until the fishery rebuilds to an acceptable level.

In the Gisborne-East Cape fishery, CRA 3, the Ministry has proposed a 6.3% reduction in commercial catch limits. We submitted this cut is not enough to prevent this fishery from declining further. The commercial catch rate has declined 30% in the last four years. We urged the Minister to seek independent scientific advice on how to respond to this decline.

A concession enabling commercial fishers to take male crayfish below the national minimum size level applies in CRA 3 and CRA 8, the Southland-Fiordland fishery. The Ministry has not provided any information on how much catch is landed under this concession, or why it is still needed.

In CRA 8 the concession was introduced when fishing was hard and a high proportion of the catch was small. Southland’s CRA 8 now supports the largest commercial cray fishery, with the highest catch rates for commercial and recreational fishers in New Zealand. If the fishery is as abundant as Ministry suggests there is no logical reason why the concession ought to remain. We opposed the planned 59 tonne TACC increase in CRA 8 until the concession has been revoked.

It’s time all New Zealanders had a fair go. We want access to abundant fisheries. Managing our crayfish stocks to extract the maximum amount does nothing for our overall social, economic and cultural wellbeing. It’s time for Stuart Nash to fulfil his statutory obligations to protect the ecosystem and all New Zealander’s interests.

Low impact fisheries in protected areas

Posted on by benn

Low impact fisheries in protected areas

Anyone fishing from shore knows that it’s a tough gig. So many elements such as the tide, wind, and swell have to be right before you even get your line wet. As fish stocks decline so do your chances of success.

Some days it comes down to a choice between buying burley to increase your prospects, or just going to the local shop and buying what you can then sharing that amongst the whanau. Where have we gone wrong?

The Bay of Plenty was originally named by Captain Cook because it was teeming with fish. Nowadays it is home to a depleted stock of snapper, crayfish have been over fished and have retreated to a few hidey holes, and the legendary kahawai boil-ups just off the beach are a mere memory.

A large proportion of New Zealanders, from Auckland, the mid north and Waikato, all have access to the Hauraki Gulf yet fish populations are relatively healthy when compared to other areas. One of the reasons is that Danish seining and trawling are banned in the inner Gulf.

Industrial fishing and more than 30 years of the Quota Management System has taken its toll, not only on our coastal fish, but also the environment they live in. Industrial fishing includes trawling, Danish seining and dredging.

Bottom trawling is generally an efficient, least cost means of harvesting a range of fish species, but we have collectively paid the price for its widespread use. A century of heavy, bottom contact mobile gear has transformed the sea floor from a diverse thriving benthic community of organisms into a desert-like landscape.

In the clear sandy expanses of the Bay of Plenty and Hawke Bay trawling is the main commercial method. Trawling has removed most of the three dimensional structure and organisms that shelter and support life underwater.

As fishing becomes harder it is no wonder more attention is being paid to what is happening just offshore and comparing that to the Hauraki Gulf.

Thriving fisheries
LegaSea has been promoting a ban on industrial fishing in the inshore zone to help rebuild depleted fish stocks and return the marine environment to a more productive ecosystem. That is because prior to industrial fishing the inshore zone was highly productive, providing refuge and nursery areas for dozens of species and supporting marine diversity through layers of ecosystem services.

The proposal to prohibit industrial fishing inshore, within 12 miles of the coast, is not about banning commercial fishing. It’s about excluding industrial fishing from inshore waters. This would create a coastal zone where low-impact commercial fishing, customary Maori and recreational fishing can co-exist.

More productive local fisheries would enable coastal communities and businesses to rebuild through expanding employment and trading opportunities. It would also encourage more innovation for small-scale artisanal commercial fishing. New Zealand must get better value from the fish we harvest. We also have international obligations and a duty of care to future generations to better protect our marine environment and biodiversity. We must start the rebuild process now.

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