Wairarapa paua data scheme a NZ first

REEF BY REEF: A data logger unit strapped to the back of a paua diver will record the location, depth, weight and water temp surrounding every shellfish captured commercially in Wairarapa waters.

Commercial Wairarapa paua divers will be the first in New Zealand to construct a reef-by-reef picture of their entire fishery by data logging every shellfish taken, says Paua 2 management group chairman Tony Craig.

Mr Craig said the new season opens on October 1 and every commercial diver in the Paua 2 fishery allocation area, which stretches from Turakirae Heads in Wellington to Blackhead Point in Central Hawkes Bay, would be wearing a data logger that would record the location, depth, weight and the water temperature surrounding every paua captured.

The small electronic boxes strapped to wetsuits unload their data on the supporting dive boat, which would provide "a reef-by-reef picture of what is happening in the fishery", he said.

"This will allow us to spread the catch effort, ensure an area is not over exploited and better manage a sustainable fishery."

The comprehensive data would be available to the Ministry of Primary Industries, which monitors the catch and sets quotas.

"In any business, trends are your friends and this data will allow us to better farm the resource. In time it is hoped to relate this information to food types, growth rates and potential advanced yield estimates to develop productivity estimates across the entire coast."

Mr Craig said the voluntary data logging of commercial Wairarapa catches was a first in New Zealand after earlier pilot schemes were completed in other commercial allocation areas.

"Basically, Wairarapa divers saw the results of the data trials and what could be done and are aiming among themselves to have 100 per cent coverage of their fishery."

Mr Craig said a system would be established using the data sets that would "give a quick heads up" about the state of any given stretch of the fishery, allowing divers to both "preserve the fishery and maximise their efficiency".

A voluntary increased size limit - from a minimum catch size of 125mm to 128mm - would also be introduced in one of the reporting areas, Mr Craig said, to help monitor growth rates.

He said increased size limits could be used in future to ease pressure in areas of high common access between customary, recreational and commercial divers.

"One of the shared fishery engagement principles our management group has developed is to leave the resource in a better condition than when we found it and these initiatives and associated capital investment are part of that process."

The total allowable commercial catch in Paua 2 had been set at 121 tonnes for the past 25 years and the fishery was rated as very healthy, he said.

"Even so, divers and local iwi are looking at the potential to give stocks a boost through a reseeding programme at their own expense."

Mr Craig said a hatchery had been contracted to grow from local broodstocks 80,000 to 150,000 baby paua, about the size of a 10c coin, which will be released on the Wairarapa coast in liaison with members of Ngati Kahungunu Ki Wairarapa iwi.

The group hopes to work alongside a local beach community to encourage ownership and protection, he said.