NZ Seafood Industry Council Responds

30 September 2005

NZ Seafood Industry Council Responds to New Regulations

The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council is pleased to see that the Minister's decisions reflect the importance of sharing the responsibility for sustainable management between the commercial, recreational and customary fisheries said New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Chief Executive Owen Symmans in response to the caretaker Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope's announced sustainability measures and other management controls for the new fishing year, which begins on 1 October 2005.

"However, the decision to reduce Kahawai Total Allowable Catch (TAC) by 10 percent is unnecessary and very disappointing as there are no credible sustainability concerns in this fishery.

This decision is completely inequitable in its effect on fishers. Although the TAC cut applies to all sectors its only impact in terms of reduced catches will be on the commercial sector as no additional management measures are proposed to reduce the take of the non-commercial sectors."

It is good to see that common sense has prevailed with the Northern North Island grey mullet, flatfish and rig, Mr Symmans said, and agrees that local access concerns cannot be addressed by changing the TAC.

With regard to the decision to reduce the Snapper 8 TAC, Mr Symmans said that level of TAC cut will have significant economic impacts for the industry and those companies that take snapper as part of their catch. "At least the Minister has agreed that it is appropriate for all sectors to 'share the pain' in securing a faster rebuild of the fishery," he said.

ENDS

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