KEY POINTS:
Job losses look likely in the fishing industry after sharp reductions in allowable catches of many fish stocks but the Government said catch rates had to be cut to sustain the numbers of fish in New Zealand waters.
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the decision to reduce hoki catches in particular had been difficult for him "as I know hoki cuts may mean job losses in some South Island regions".
But the minister said he was statutorily obliged to take account of sustainability of stocks when making decisions about catch limits.
Mr Anderton was also asked today whether the cuts in catch limits could put the price of fish up in the supermarket, but he was not sure whether that would happen.
Mr Anderton said the new catch limits would come into effect from October 1.
Among the decisions were:
* A 9.5 per cent reduction in the orange roughy catch on the south and east Chatham Rise with the total allowable catch (TAC) set at 11,025 tonnes and the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) of 10,500;
* The effective closing of the orange roughy fishery off the central West Coast of the South Island;
* A 38 per cent reduction - to 914 tonnes TAC and 870 tonnes TACC - of orange roughy from Bay of Plenty, north to Cape Reinga, and the west coast of the North Island;
* In all waters, the TAC of hoki to be reduced 10 per cent from 101,040 tonnes to 91,040 tonnes and a TACC of 90,000 tonnes.
* A 63 per cent reduction in the TAC of South Island red cod to a new TAC of 4930 tonnes and a TACC of 4600 tonnes;
* A 47 per cent reduction in the Southern flatfish take, down from 2681 (although this amount had never been caught) to a TAC of 1617 tonnes and TACC of 1430 tonnes;
* No change to the squid fishery;
* A 50 per cent reduction in the catch limit of oreo in all New Zealand waters except the east coast of the South Island and sub-Antarctic waters;
* Catch limits for North Island eel also to be reduced.
Mr Anderton said there would be an immediate 50 per cent reduction of hoki caught from the western stock. However, he was increasing by 5000 tonnes the harvest of the eastern stock.
The aim of this measure was to "soften the immediate economic impacts" of the reduction in the western fishery.
He said he was raising catch limits for Northern school shark in the waters off Bay of Plenty, Northland and Waikato, which would be 27 tonnes higher than previously.
There would also be a 4 per cent increase in the total catch of northern tarakihi in these waters.
He also increased from two tonnes to 50 tonnes the catch limit for oysters in waters off Marlborough's east coast.
- NZPA
