NZ Fish Species

New Zealand Fish Species Management

Background

So often we are asked how we came to be where we are i.e. Quota Management System introductions, allocations and management decisions etc. We quickly realised that the relevant information was not readily available and if it was, more often than not it was buried in very large documents.

option4 initiated this section of the web site in 2002. We have endeavoured to extract from what are often huge documents, the relevant information for the fisheries and species that are important to the public.

Details

Under each species we have collated the relevant information for each Fisheries Management Area (FMA) - these include extracts from the Ministry of Fisheries "Initial Position Papers" (IPPs) that contain MFish' recommendations to the Minister, submissions from option4 and others (as available), the Minister's decisions and the Final Advice Papers (FAPs) that MFish offer the Minister, which take into account the various submissions made on the fisheries.

Much of this work is from the annual sustainability round of the fisheries management process. Also, where appropriate we have included information on the process for introducing new species into the Quota Management System (QMS).

2007

MFish advice letter explaining the 2007 review process, timeline and other matters is available here » » » (PDF 30Kb)

Species
QMS proposals for particular species, related correspondence and submissions from option4, NZ Sport Fishing (formerly the NZ Big Game Fishing Council) and others as they are available:

Submissions Due	Deadline:
Marlborough Sounds blue cod re-opening	4 October 2010
Coromandel scallops	28 July 2010
Deemed value review for selected fish stocks	26 July 2010
Trevally 2 and Hapuku/Bass 3 (Groper)	26 July 2010
Southern bladder kelp stocks	23 July 2010

Beach cast seaweed		Yellowfin Tuna
Bladder kelp seaweed		Regulation review	2005
Blue Cod		Regulation review	2005
Coromandel shellfish			2006
Dolphins and set, drift and trawl net management			2007
Dolphins and set, drift and trawl net management		Rock lobster - crayfish
Eel (tuna)		West coast scallops and netting
Fisheries Plan - North Island West		Scallops	Coromandel
Flounder	FLA1		Northland
Grey Mullet	GMU1	Sharks
Red Gurnard	GUR3	Snapper	SNA2
Hapuku/Bass	HPB3		SNA8
Kahawai		Swordfish
Kingfish	KIN8	Tarakihi
New Species		Trevally	TRE2
Paua	PAU5D

Progress

If we are to go forward with confidence, it is critical we know where we have come from and how. So much of the complexity and uncertainty surrounding our right to fish for food is a result of this sort of information not being made readily available in a durable format. We hope that this section, over time, will help contribute to clear, consistent and fair fisheries management decisions by having good information readily available and the experience of previous processes.

Aquaculture reforms A government-appointed Technical Advisory Group produced a series of recommendations in a report to the Fisheries Minister to increase aquaculture activity and economic returns. Follow the process and responses here........	Dec 2009
North Island West Coast Fisheries Plan In 2007 the Ministry of Fisheries initiated a process to develop a Fisheries Plan for the finfish stocks that inhabit the North Island's west coast. Read the background information and 2009 submissions here.........	Aug 2007
Deemed Values The non-commercial sector reacted strongly to the proposals put forward by the Joint Working Group on the deemed value review. The 2006 and 2007 process and background information can be found here......	Jul 2010
Fisheries Act Amendment Bill Early in 2007 the Minister of Fisheries proposed amendments to sections 10 (c) and (d) of the Fisheries Act 1996 (the Act) to enable a more precautionary approach to be taken by fisheries managers. Follow the process here.....	Apr 2007
28N Rights Holders of section 28N rights are the first stakeholders to receive extra quota if there is an increase in the TACC for a fish stock. This explanation of these rights has been provided by the Ministry of Fisheries.	May 2006
Adaptive Management Programmes (AMPs) The clear intent of Adaptive Management Programmes is to fish down the stock fast enough to allow the decline in commercial trawl CPUE to be measured within a certain time period. We fail to see how AMPs address management issues and "allow for" non-commercial fishing interests in our precious inshore shared fisheries.
Allocation Issues Paper by MFish in response to submissions to the 2005 sustainability round including the option4 submission above discussing the proportional allocation model being adopted by the Ministry.	Sep 2005 (PDF 130Kb)
Aquaculture and Fish Farming The pressure is on to increase the value of our exports from aquaculture and fin fish farming. This has major implications for the health of our coastal waters. For more information on aquaculture and fin fish farming go here
Customary Maori Fishing Maori have very strong customary management rights and mechanisms recognised in the Deed of Settlement 1992 and legislated in the Fisheries Act. More information coming soon.
Fiordland Proposed changes to fisheries management in the region.
Fisheries Act 1996 This document is available for viewing on the government legislation website here » » » » » »
Fisheries Act 1996 Section 11A of the Fisheries Act 1996 - Fisheries Plans
Fisheries Act Amendment Bill option4 has written a submission in support of the intention of the Fisheries Act Amendment Bill proposed by the Minister of Fisheries, if it achieves the goal of putting more fish in the water.
Fisheries Management Discussion Document A summary of the injustices that lie at the heart of effective fisheries management. Until these injustices are acknowledged and resolved it is hard to see a clear way forward. Included are some suggested “pathways out of the maze”. This document was given to the Minister and staff in December 2004. We have no progress to report at this stage.	Dec 2004
Fisheries Regulations The Amateur Fishing Regulations control the activities of the public who fish for food. This public includes Maori when they are not fishing for the purposes of their marae and exercising their very powerful customary fishing rights. Read more about these regulations and option4's input to any changes to these regulations here » » » » » »
Fisheries Standards option4 endorsed the New Zealand Big Game Fishing Council's submissions on the Harvest Strategy and Introduction to the QMS Standards produced by MFish.
Graham Kelly Speech to Senate A bizarre presentation to the Canadian Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans by a representative of our government. So much nonsense on fisheries management	April 2005
Ministry Brief Minister on Role The briefing paper given to David Benson-Pope was released a month after he was given the job of Minister of Fisheries.	1 Apr 04
Moyle's Promise In 1989 the National Policy for Marine Recreational Fishing was finalised and the Minister of Fisheries, Colin Moyle, issued the following statement that is referred to today as Moyle's Promise, "Government's position is clear, where a species of fish is not sufficiently abundant to support both commercial and non-commercial fishing, preference will be given to non-commercial fishing" option4 believe the 1996 rewrite of the Fisheries Act confirmed this priority access. Section 21 clearly states the Minister shall "allow for" non-commercial fishing interests, both recreational and customary, before setting commercial quotas.
Policy and Management Issues Paper by Ministry written in response to the 2005 submissions to the sustainability round including the review of GMU1, FLA1, kahawai, KIN8 and SNA8. Worth a read.	Sept 2005 (PDF 240Kb)
Process Issues Written by the Ministry of Fisheries this Process Issues paper is a response to issues raised in submissions by both commercial and non-commercial fishers to the 2005 sustainability round.	Sept 2005 (PDF 80Kb)
MUST READ Proportional Allocation of NZ Resources The Ministry of Fisheries is promoting proportional allocations as an equitable way of sharing the pain of rebuilding a fish stock between sectors and sharing the gains, once stocks are rebuilt. This proportional policy MFish currently has seems to be a convenient way to ignore the history of fisheries mismanagement and to avoid compensation issues for the Crown. Read this comprehensive analysis of the current policy preference of MFish compiled by option4. You will have no doubts after reading this document what proportionalism is all about.	Aug 2005
Quota Management System (QMS) An explanation of the QMS, IPPs, correspondence from the Minister and Ministry of Fisheries relating to the QMS and submissions to their proposals.
Shared Fisheries Policy The Ministry of Fisheries is developing a policy to address long-standing issues of concern over allocation and management in shared fisheries, where both commercial and non-commercial fishers have an interest. option4 will be fully engaged in this process during 2006. More detail here » » » » » »
Statement of Intent Every year the Ministry of Fisheries issue a Statement of Intent (SOI) setting out the strategic direction of MFish. option4 could not let the 2006-11 document go unchallenged. In June option4 submitted that MFish do not have any intent to meaningfully engage with the public and representative organisations. Full details of the 2006 process here...	7 Jun 06
United Future supports option4 Larry Baldock is deeply concerned about the arrogance of Ministry of Fisheries over marine protection and Quota Management and has been representing option4 policy in the corridors of power. Grant Dixon in September edition of fishing magazine said "United Future MP Larry Baldock, although something of a lone voice, has done his best in parliament for recreational fishers." Read more detail about United Future action on kahawai quota management and marine reserves in this profile on Larry Baldock.

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