New Zealand fisheries - world leading or a shambles?

New Zealand's commercial fishing industry is increasingly being seen in a negative light. Photo / John Stone

New Zealanders are growing more concerned about the way the country's fisheries are being managed, according to a LegaSea-commissioned survey.

Far from having a world-leading fisheries management system, almost 70 per cent of those surveyed in a nationwide study believed an independent inquiry into the Quota Management System (QMS) was warranted.

Only five per cent felt it was not.

Wasteful, destructive, low-value bulk harvesting fishing practices are well past their use-by date.

Scott Macindoe, LegaSea spokesman

More than 2000 respondents from around the country answered a series of questions about the current marine fisheries management situation, and were asked to rate five areas of marine fisheries management performance - limiting overall catch and rebuilding fish stocks in their own area, limiting industrial-scale fishing in inshore areas, fairly allocating catch entitlements between commercial, recreational and customary fishers, reducing the bycatch of protected species like seabirds and marine mammals, and reducing the dumping of excess or unwanted catch.

Across all five management areas, unsatisfactory performance ratings (poor or very poor) were significantly higher than satisfactory performance ratings (good and excellent), LegaSea spokesman Scott Macindoe said, adding that the results spoke for themselves.

"New Zealanders are very concerned by the revelations around fish dumping and the lack of response from the Ministry for Primary Industries," he said.

"It's not just those who go fishing - being an island nation, all New Zealanders have a bond with the sea and the marine environment. We all want to see it managed more responsibly.

"Abundance is the key. Wasteful, destructive, low-value bulk harvesting fishing practices are well past their use-by date."

Survey participants had come from all walks of life, Mr Macindoe said.

The level of interest in sorting out New Zealand's fishing problems went far beyond those who actively fished.

"New Zealanders really care about this issue, whether they go fishing or not," he said.

"The Prime Minister said it best - more people care about the fate of snapper in our waters than care about the GCSB spying on Kiwis."

The survey, conducted by Horizon Research, found that even those participants who identified as National Party supporters were in favour of an independent inquiry into the way fisheries were managed (61 per cent in support, 11 per cent opposed, 28 per cent didn't know).

"It's time the politicians realised this will be a problem issue for them during the election campaign unless something is done sooner rather than later to sort out our fisheries management," he said.