Fisheries Minister, Hon John Luxton today announced that the commercial catch limits for the deepwater species of oreo (known as oreo 3A) have been reduced from 6600 to 5900 tonnes for the 1999/2000 fishing year on the western oreo half of the Chatham Rise.

"I have asked industry to implement a voluntary agreement that will allow for 1900 tonnes of the 5900 Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) to be set aside as an upper limit for smooth oreo. I have also sought the co-operation of the fishing industry to maintain the black oreo catch at a sustainable level."

In addition there will be a phased reduction in catch limits over a three year period, starting in the 2000/01 fishing year.

"It is important to conserve the valuable oreo stocks so as to ensure their long term sustainability," Mr Luxton concluded.

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>>