Fisheries Minister, Hon John Luxton, today announced a number of management changes for the new fishing year to address urgent sustainability concerns, and the need to fulfil the Crown's obligations to Maori.

"These decisions have been taken after consultation with all stakeholders, including Maori, recreational and commercial fishers and environmental groups," Mr Luxton said.

The decisions include:

Protection measures for the unique seabed community in Spirits Bay and Tom Bowling Bay, Northland

Reduced daily recreational bag limits for shellfish in the Coromandel

Reduced catch levels for valuable oreo deepwater fish, and

Reduction of the commercial catch of Stewart Island paua

Some of the decisions will take effect on 1 October 1999, while other regulatory amendments will come into force during November 1999.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>