Some thoughts on tarakihi problems

Alain Jorion

Opinion

by Alain Jorion

Re: Boats straying in to closed tarakihi fishing areas, March 23 RNZ story.

Large advocacy groups blame the Quota Management System that commercial fishers say is world-renowned. Also “catch history” gave ownership title of the quota, worth many millions of dollars, all for free. Today large fishing organisations have bought out the small fishers’ ownership title, putting them out of fishing and jobs, to push their weight around.

This is the case with the great table-fish tarakihi, that recreational fishers like to catch while having a day on the water. But huge trawlers have been abusing areas they are not allowed to fish, because of greed.

Orange roughy had the same problem when while spawning in bulk concentrations, they were taken easily using less fuel, less costs. The result was a collapsed fishery.

Much the same is happening now with tarakihi, and I believe this is especially the case up at East Cape where many spawn.

Catch limits are too high. A species is considered overfished when the biomass is down to 40 percent. Tarakihi stocks are now at 15 percent. Everybody will have to take catch limit cuts.

In my opinion, mismanagement on the East Coast part of area 2 off Gisborne is crazy. An MPI compliance officer confirmed to me that this area does not even have a restriction of any sort off our beaches.

In the Bay of Plenty and beyond, all commercial activity must keep at least two nautical miles out from land. We have seen set nets that are kilometres long, set just outside where the surfers are. Trawlers at night have come in just as close. How can this be helpful for a healthy fishery?

I believe MPI fishery officers do the best job they can. Rock lobsters are in great decline as well. One poacher was caught illegally taking an estimated 596kg of crayfish that was sold around Rotorua. It was called “Operation Coastie”.

A successful tool works very well off Kaikoura, called “telson clipping”. All lobsters taken by recreational fishers must have the middle tail fan fin clipped off before coming to shore. This way they are identified as not for sale. Failing to do that, the fisher can be prosecuted for lobsters he intends to sell.

Frank Prokop, from Western Australia, introduced this to New Zealand many years ago but for some reason most areas have failed to take up this great tool. If you understand this compliance tool, you will agree how good it is — unless you are a poacher.

Another suggestion that would keep a check on illegal fishing where trawlers and commercial fishers fish, is making it compulsory to have cameras operating 24 hours a day on their boats to see what is being dumped. Having a Global Positioning System (GPS) included, 24 hours a day, would let compliance based anywhere check who is breaking the rules. Only doing this will separate the good fishers from the baddies. Heavy fines targeting the pocket works.

Something has to be done. MPI have their high standards of compliance but at the end of the day, everybody wants a fishery that we can all enjoy. Let’s do this.

■ Alain is a board member of the NZ Recreational Fishing Council