Fishermen filmed with 'thousands' of pink maomao in bins. Video / Supplied
OPINION:
The move by Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker to place a bag limit on recreationally caught fish that previously had no limit should be welcomed by the commercial fishing industry.
It is heartening that many recreational fishermen and their bodies have also agreed it was a move that was inevitable and one they would embrace.
Parker acted after the outcry when thousands of pink maomao were taken by a group of fishermen in Coromandel.
The commercial fishing industry has long been frustrated by what it sees as a relative lack of recreational limits for certain species.
This is particularly because it has been operating under strict and enforceable catch limits for all commercial species of fish since the advent of the Quota Management System in 1986.
I believe controls on recreational fishing are well overdue – and not for reasons that are immediately obvious.
Most recreational fishermen are responsible with their catches and bring home a feed or two for their family and some for the neighbour.
David Parker acted following the outcry when thousands of pink maomao were taken by a group of fishermen in Coromandel. Photo / Supplied
These new moves to limit catch on otherwise unrestricted species will hopefully start the move toward better fisheries management in New Zealand.
The commercial industry has long called for recreational reporting of catch and the reasons are simple. We simply cannot know the number of fish in our waters unless we have an accurate and scientific assessment of the numbers caught. Leaving the recreational catch out is like only counting the black jellybeans in the jar.
Fisheries New Zealand carries out regular stock assessments on the major fish species that are brought in by the commercial industry and sets catch limits based on those assessments. The industry pays millions each year for this work.
There is no comparable measurement of the recreational catch beyond surveys that I argue are both irregular and uncertain.
This leaves gaps in the science process when assessing stocks and it is long overdue that some kind of system is introduced to change that.
Asking reccies to count their take may be unpopular with some. But if we are to obtain better information to manage our fisheries resources I believe it's a necessary step.
No one wants to rain on the recreational parade – most commercial fishers like to take their kids out to catch a fish as well – but it is imperative we are measuring fish coming out of our oceans no matter who is catching them.
We look forward to a discussion on recreational reporting.
• Jeremy Helson is the chief executive of Seafood New Zealand, an organisation that represents commercial fishing and seafood groups.
