Woeful catch sparks trawler pillaging fears

Anglers are worried about the lack of fish in the Bay. Photo / File

Oceans pillaged by trawlers have angered recreational fishermen who are going without a catch and fear the ecological damage to Hawke's Bay's fisheries.

A worrying trend saw the 450 anglers casting out in the Bay at the weekend's Kahawai Surfcasting Competition catch only 15 qualifying fish.

Event co-ordinator John Purser said the poor catch "shows the state of the fisheries".

The 60-year-old contest, run by the Pania Surfcasting Club, required fishermen to catch fish at a length of 300mm along Napier's Marine Parade.

Three years ago 112 qualifying kahawai were caught from the same stretch of coast, while last year a dramatic decline saw less than 30 caught.

Mr Purser said for hundreds of fishermen to spend hours on the shore between 8am and 2.30pm and only catch a little more than a dozen fish was a "very worrying sign".

"I think the big boats may be coming in and just destroying the ecology of the sea close to the shore."

New Zealand Angling and Casting Association president Jim Yeoman said there was a "major issue" and the continuing trawling of the Bay had "wrecked fish stocks". During the past eight years the "ecological damage" from commercial fishing had been allowed to continue before the Ministry for Primary Industries acknowledged an issue.

He said the only solution to recovering fish stocks, of which gurnard and snapper had been hit hardest, was to allow the seabed to regenerate.

"Recreational fishers have a job to do as well. They have been pillaging the system ... we've all got a job to play."

An MPI spokesman said while information indicated the overall health of the Wider Fisheries Management area, which Hawke's Bay is a part of, is good, "we have heard concerns, particularly from recreational fishers, about the health of smaller fishing areas".

All New Zealand fisheries are managed under the Quota Management System (QMS). Customary, recreational and commercial catches are limited to "sustainable" levels using robust scientific research and information.

"We monitor fish stocks in the wider Fisheries Management Area each year," the spokesman said.

"At the end of last year we met with recreational fishers in the area to discuss these concerns ... we will be looking to meet again with recreational fishers to discuss progress in March."