Kahawai fishery in jeopardy, recreational anglers claim

The first legal challenge over the share of a major fishery allocated to amateur fishers has been lodged in the High Court.

The Recreational Fishing Council (RFC) and the Big Game Fishing Council have begun legal proceedings calling for a judicial review of decisions by Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope over the allocation of kahawai.

"It is a fundamentally flawed situation which has led to this test case," said RFC president Keith Ingram.

"It's not about our own interests. This is a case for and on behalf of the fishing public of New Zealand."

Recreational fishing groups were angered by the kahawai share given to commercial companies when the species was introduced into the Quota Management System last year.

Hobby fishers received the larger share - 3415 tonnes compared with 3035 tonnes for commercial take - but Mr Ingram said commercial fishers should have been given an allocation for bycatch only, a maximum of 600 tonnes.

"We have no argument with the legitimate unavoidable bycatch of commercial fishers, but we do have a problem with purse seine."

Mr Ingram's council has argued that the fishery cannot survive purse seine vessels of large New Zealand companies targeting near-shore kahawai schools.

Purse seine vessels use large nets to catch kahawai and the council believes the boats also use spotter helicopters to find the fish.

Hobby fishers argued that the kahawai fishery was already "depressed" before being introduced into the quota system, something the minister had not taken into account.

"There has been a huge decline in the availability of kahawai," Mr Ingram said.

Kahawai are sometimes dubbed "the people's fish" because they can be caught with a modest rod from boat, beach or wharf and are often the first catch of young fishers.