MAF backs off irradiation plan for frozen fish bait

A proposal fishermen believed would stop them using imported fishing bait has been dropped after a public outcry.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry wanted all imported whole fish to be irradiated to kill viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) - a disease deadly to fish that has seriously depleted populations in the North American Great Lakes.

MAF dropped the rule after fishermen said the treatment would drive up the cost of bait, and make bait too mushy to stay on the hook.

It will now look at a softer approach targeting only highest-risk species from countries affected by VHS.

The disease affects a wide range of fresh and salt water fish, including farmed rainbow trout and turbot. It has been found in Europe the United Kingdom, and North America.

MAF Biosecurity advisor Richard Soons said the fishing industry had convinced the ministry it was too dependent on imported frozen fish for bait for the draft rule to work.

Irradiation treatment boxes were too small to cope with the large amount of imported bait used in New Zealand.

Mr Soons said there would be no change for the moment, but requirements would be developed for the riskiest fish. It was likely low-risk species would be allowed to continue to come in frozen but high risk species would have to come from a low-risk country or be irradiated.

"It doesn't mean you can't import bait, but we would probably look at treating it first if it is not from a safe country," he said.

MAF said in a report on the import standard that whole round fish represented a "significant risk of introducing pests or pathogens that are not managed by the current freezing requirement".

Recreational Fishing Council secretary Sheryl Hart said the initial proposal met with huge opposition from fishers.

MAF has promised to consult the Recreational Fishing Council when a new rule is drafted.

Its views would depend on which fish were affected and how important they were to fishermen, said Ms Hart.