Russian trawlers 'take NZ jobs'

Commercial fishermen on the North Island's west coast claim Russian trawlers are taking their fish and their jobs.

Raglan skipper Mark Hartstone claimed the big Russian-owned fishing vessels, which work under contract to New Zealand companies, could devastate the fishery and the industry.

Mr Hartstone said a fleet of 120m Russian boats contracted to Sealord Fisheries was stripping west coast waters of food chain species and netting thousands of snapper before they could spawn in-shore.

The trawlers would hurt New Zealand commercial fishers, he warned.

"It could get nasty. West coast fishermen want to protect their livelihoods. There's a lot of ill-feeling. It's Kiwi fish, Kiwi jobs."

New Zealand boats operating in-shore were restricted to 43m, he said.

The Russians were operating legally within their regulated area, but "right up to the in-shore line".

While New Zealand fishermen working in-shore had 4.5m-deep nets, the Russian boats had 40 to 60m-deep nets designed to catch smaller fish in deeper waters.

"Our nets have a 125mm mesh, theirs are about 75mm," Mr Hartstone said. "They've been fishing into 100m of water and taking up half the sea depth, where all the in-shore species are in the winter and spring - john dory, tarakihi, snapper, barracuda, squid, gurnard and school sharks."

While the Russian boats targeted jack mackerel, they would also take a considerable by-catch of other species.

The Fisheries Ministry was ill-equipped to monitor the Russian trawlers' catch, Mr Hartstone said.

Contracting Russian boats and crew was more economic for companies such as Sealord, and small New Zealand commercial fishermen could not compete, he said.

"My son wanted to become a fisherman and I'm concerned there won't be a healthy in-shore fishery for him to work."

Fisheries Ministry scientist Graham McGregor said the Russian trawlers usually chased jack mackerel during the winter only, and much further south. This year, they had moved north, working between Muriwai and the north Taranaki bight.

They were also now fishing in spring and early summer, when snapper moved in-shore to spawn. However, it was uneconomic for them to take large quantities, he said. "If they catch too much, they pay a deemed value penalty."

The effect on the marine food chain and other species was factored into fishing quotas. But there were only enough ministry observers to monitor 10 per cent of the total fishing fleet at any time, he said.

New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen head Doug Loder said the Russian boats were operating legally, but there was a moral issue involved.

"We have initiated an independent economic analysis for the likes of Mr Hartstone," Mr Loder said.

Sealord Group spokeswoman Merrill Coke said the company had no comment, other than to say Sealord vessels were "fishing outside the line and operating legally".

What it's about

New Zealand fishing companies have hired big Russian trawlers to catch fish here at cheap rates.

Some local commercial fishermen claim the Russian boats are overfishing and forcing them out of a job.

The Federation of Commercial Fishermen is studying the impact on local fishing businesses.

- NZPA