Why is information on high grading, bycatch and dumping often withheld by Fisheries New Zealand or its predecessors?

Embarrassment. In 2014 fisheries officials discussed the merits of releasing or not releasing damning evidence of illegal and wasteful practices by commercial fishers. They discussed the potential backlash if the evidence was withheld by the Ministry and later discovered and made public. The 2016 report by Michael Heron QC details this discussion in relation to several investigations that found serious incidents of illegal behaviour.  

Why are only 56% of targeted species assessed?

Because there is a lack of available research funding. The system is set up so that quota holders have a major influence on where the research funding is spent. This means that research funding is targeted towards fish stocks that may deliver greater catch limits, not necessarily the fish stocks that are depleted (in trouble) and need rebuilding.

Who performs the research?

Approved service providers or commercial fishers or their agents, if they are funding a particular project.

Who pays for stock assessment research?

Fisheries New Zealand pays for stock assessment research and may collect levies from quota owners as part payment, depending on the stock. Quota owners sometimes pay for research if they consider there is development potential in a particular fishery

How is the QMS obscuring the facts?

The Quota Management System is the framework that determines how our fish stocks are managed. The system is set up so that quota holders have a major influence on where the research funding is spent. This means that research funding is targeted towards fish stocks that may deliver greater catch limits, not necessarily the fish stocks that are depleted (in trouble) and need rebuilding.

Why do you say that Māori only own around 10.7% of the total quota share value when they actually own more than 40% of all quota?

Independent analysis by the NZ Institute of Economic Research shows that on the information available Māori own around 40% of quota shares (by volume) but only 10.7% of the total quota share value. This is a conservative estimate of iwi ownership and value because not all the relevant details are available; that is understandable given the commercial sensitivity of the information. For Rescue Fish to succeed it was important to work out what a fair exchange might be for those shares if they were bought out by the government. More here on pages 23-26.

What is a resource rental?

A resource rental is a tax applied to the commercial use of natural resources. When the Quota Management System was introduced in 1986 quota holders were required to pay a resource rental on their annual catch of fish. The tax was terminated in 1994 and replaced with a user pays, levy based system. Over time the levies collected have not kept pace with the actual cost of administration, monitoring and ressearch. The lack of a resource rental on commercial catch leads to overfishing. Rescue Fish promotes a resource rental for all commercial catch landed to prevent overfishing and to acknowledge that a national resource is being exploited for private profit.

What is quota?

Under the Quota Management System quota is a share in a fish stock. In every fish stock there are 100 million shares. Investors buy and sell these shares. Every year quota owners receive ACE, Annual Catch Entitlement for each quota share they hold. This is an entitlement to catch a specific amount of fish, in weight, during the fishing year. Quota holders can retain their quota shares and buy or sell their ACE during the year.

The amount of ACE each quota owner receives is dependent on the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for that year. The Minister of Fisheries decides the TACC for each fish stock. Every commercial fisher must have ACE to cover their catch. If a fisher cannot source enough ACE to cover their catch the fisher is charged a penalty fee.

Why was the QMS introduced?

The Quota Management System was introduced to address fish depletion and overcapacity in the commercial sector, that is, too many people chasing too few fish. Some fish stocks were estimated to have been depleted to less than 10% of their natural stock size. The QMS was promoted as a means to rebuild depleted fish stocks, to give quota rights to commercial interests so fishers would be incentivised to act as good stewards of the sea, and to make commercial fishing more economic.

When was the Quota Management System introduced to New Zealand?

The Quota Management System was introduced to New Zealand in 1986, although a form of quota had applied to some offshore fish stocks from 1983.