Government puts quotas for tuna on hold

The Government has decided to abandon controversial plans to add albacore and skipjack tuna to the quota management system (QMS).

Proposals to bring the migratory fish into the quota system angered some fishers last year, especially since it would have been based on the 2000 to 2002 catch.

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the decision in principle had been contentious and he had had second thoughts.

"I am satisfied there are no problems about the sustainability or the utilisation of this stock at this time, and therefore it is not appropriate to introduce it into the QMS." Indicating that it would only be a temporary reprieve, Mr Anderton said: "I believe both albacore and skipjack tuna will, over the long term, need to be brought into a management framework that recognises they are migratory fish, potentially vulnerable to over-exploitation."

There would be further consultation to try to find a consensus about future management of the industry.

Mr Anderton yesterday released a document called State of Our Fisheries, outlining the fisheries policy, management and the industry.

- NZPA