Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Storm brewing around crayfish and scallops

Media Release – for immediate release


13 March 2014

Storm brewing around crayfish and scallops

Recreational fishers believe something smells off in recent proposals to manage selected regional fisheries, including crayfish and scallops. New Zealanders are missing out on these seafood delicacies because management favours commercial and export priorities ahead of public interests.

LegaSea supporters and New Zealand Sport Fishing Council affiliated clubs are particularly concerned about the overfished CRA2 area, covering the greater Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty, and the collapsed scallop fishery at the top of the South Island.

LegaSea is campaigning against ongoing management inequities.

LegaSea is also encouraging people nationwide to have a say and to support their submission using a simple online tool. www.legasea.co.nz/crayscallop

Commercial interests have for years dominated the advisory body to the Minister, the National Rock Lobster Management Group.

This Group proposes the Minister maintains CRA2 at a level that produces an average catch rate of 410 grams per potlift for the next 20 years.

In comparison, catch rates in adjoining areas are much higher. 1.7kg per potflift in Northland (CRA1), and 2.45kg on the East Coast (CRA3).

CRA2 is already the most depleted stock in New Zealand. Commercial fishing effort has increased from 250,000 potlifts in 1999 to a whopping 530,000 potlifts per year in 2012 for the same catch, 230 tonnes.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

At this stage there is no proposed reduction to the annual recreational allowance.

LegaSea is concerned that public fishers are being denied reasonable access to crayfish due to low abundance. The public is only catching around 28% of their entitlement in CRA2.

Campaign coordinator Adam El-Agez, says, “This is just another symptom of a failing quota management system. Last year Nathan Guy, the Minister for Primary Industries, continued to support the loophole that allows commercial operators to catch undersized crayfish around the Gisborne coast - a blatant tool for denying the public catch so they can be exported to China”.

“This year they seem intent on keeping the public in the Hauraki/BOP area scraping over the last few refugees of a collapsed fishery.”

Mark Connor, President of the Sport Fishing Council is emphatic,“Crayfish are an important species in the coastal ecosystem and highly valued by customary and recreational fishers. The management proposals are too little too late. The public want real crayfish, not paper ones”.

Mr. Connor is based in Canterbury and shares the ongoing concerns for the scallop fishery in Tasman and Golden Bay. This southern fishery was once praised as a shining example of industry self – management. It has also collapsed.

Last year the Bays were closed to commercial dredging by voluntary agreement, but the quota remained at 747 tonnes of scallop meat.

Commercial fishing effort has now shifted into the fragile and extremely significant recreational areas of the Marlborough Sounds.

“The industry and Ministry call this shared pain, shared gain. In reality it’s just the same old story of public pain for commercial gain, says Mr El-Agez.

The Ministry proposed a reduction in quota to 46 tonne, but after pressure from the fishing industry released a late alternative of 416 tonne.

“Yet again the Ministry and Minister are being pressured into giving priority to commercial economic considerations over the sustainability of the stock and the public interest. If the scallop 7 stock is less than10% of the unfished population then it should be closed according to the Ministry’s own policy” said Mr. Connor.

People can sign a letter to the Minister and support the LegaSea submission online at www.legasea.co.nz/crayscallop

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.