Hawke's Bay fishing companies will not be badly affected by changes to the quota management system (QMS) which took effect from October 1.
While the Fisheries Ministry is warning of possible job losses and vessels being laid up after 21 species were added to the QMS Mike Claudatos, of Star Fish, said the Hawke's Bay fishing industry had been spared the full effect of the changes by small increases to the blue nose, tarakihi and orangy roughy quotas and did not think there would be job losses.
Ministry general manager, fisheries management, Mike Arbuckle said these additions might cause disruption in the fishing industry, as current processing was realigned or reduced in response to these and wider pressures.
"At its extreme, it is likely that this will result in some people and vessels leaving the industry. This is an unavoidable consequence of improved management, which . . . will lead to the long term economic and environmental viability of the industry."
Mr Arbuckle said the 21 additions take the total covered under the QMS to 50, a goal set in 2001.
The additions reflected the value of mixed fisheries, and not just individual stocks, he said.
Some of the species added include three types of tuna, red snapper and green-lipped mussels.
The Seafood Industry Council (Seafic) welcomed the changes, which chief executive Owen Symmans said would bring a degree of certainty to the industry.
"We've always supported more species coming into the QMS. This introduces a degree of certainty and now people can make economic decisions."
Mr Symmans said the industry would be watching with interest how the Government allocated the quota of new species.
Talk of people leaving the industry was premature till the details had been worked out, he said.
"This is all part of the wider mix of change that's going on in the industry."
Mr Symmans said a species of particular interest was tuna, and the species that are a "by-catch" as a result of that fishery, such as moonfish, swordfish and spiny dogfish.
"Unless there is some resolution around target species and by-catch then some of those people will go out of business, there's no doubt.
"But I'd suggest the reduction in hoki quota from 180,000 to 100,000 tonnes would have a greater impact than these species coming to the QMS."
New quotas `will have little effect' on HB
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