New Zealand Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Phil Heatley, has announced changes to fishing catch limits and other management controls in a range of fish stocks managed under the Quota Management System.
Mr Heatley says he considers the best available scientific and management information as well as submissions from customary, recreational and commercial fishers, environmental groups and the public before making these decisions.
"Good fisheries management requires a continuing process of review and adjustment using the best scientific research and information we have," he says.
"Catch limits move up and down to take account of changes in the abundance of a fish stock and make sure fishing is kept at sustainable levels. There is also a need to adjust other management controls from time to time to make sure the QMS is working effectively.”
A range of fisheries were reviewed and changes have been made to both commercial catch limits and recreational allowances. The affected stocks are hoki, orange roughy, black cardinalfish, scampi, blue cod, bluenose, kingfish, ribaldo, rig and Pacific bluefin tuna.
Some of the key catch limit decisions are:
The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for hoki will be increased by 10,000t from 120,000 to 130,000t.
A decrease has been announced in the catch limits for two orange roughy stocks. Mr Heatley said that although these fisheries were being managed for long-term sustainability, not all were at optimal levels.
The TAC for bluenose has been reduced.
"These initial reductions represent the beginning of a three-year staged reduction to ensure rebuilding of bluenose fisheries," Mr Heatley says.
Other management controls announced include changes to recreational bag limits for all bluenose stocks and for some blue cod stocks, adjustments to the penalties for fishing above TAC limits (deemed values) for several species caught commercially, and administrative changes to the seabird mitigation rules that apply to commercial surface longline fishing.
Catch limit changes take effect on 1 October 2011. Other changes will come into effect on or before 1 May 2012 and the public will be alerted to these changes when they are made.
