Recommendations to save fishing in Kaipara Harbour

By CLAIRE TREVETT


Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson has pledged to give full consideration to a report aimed at saving fishing in New Zealand's largest harbour.

The Kaipara Harbour sustainable fisheries management study group presented its three-year study on fisheries in the Kaipara yesterday, with a kete of chocolate fish.

The report recommended a broad swathe of measures to resist depletion of fish in the harbour, including the urgent imposition of a two-year ban on scallop taking, raising minimum net mesh sizes, increasing minimum fish sizes and making sure nets were checked regularly to stop wastage.

However, the most significant request was for the harbour to be designated a separate quota management area, removed from the national policies of the fishing industry.

Mr Hodgson said he would give thought to implementing the proposals as far as practical, but added several caveats, especially around the call for a separate management area.

While there was consensus in the group on some matters, such as the ban on taking scallops, changes to quota management systems usually required the agreement of the commercial fishers who held property rights.

"I can initiate quota management area changes if I believe sustainability is in danger. I haven't done it for any species or any part of the country yet."

Any change would cost about $90,000. "It is not a lot of money for a Government. But it is a big cost for a precedent so I have to go away and think about that."

Mr Hodgson said Kaipara had not yet reached crisis but it was heading that way and needed to be addressed.

"We don't want to happen here with fin fish what we saw happen with toheroa, so let's get to grips with it before it gets to that stage. But you do present me with some quite big challenges of precedent, of regulating any corner of the country differently."

Extra regulation led to a need for more compliance measures and although more money had been put into compliance, it was never enough.

The ministry had already removed a lot of honorary fisheries officers' licences because of the danger that an unpaid worker might be hurt after threats and assaults on officers.

However, Mr Hodgson said if the decision was made to set up a quota management system or close the scallop beds, or increase net mesh sizes, regulations could be put through before the next election, in about 20 months.

Group chairman and Kaipara Mayor Graeme Ramsay strongly pushed for the separate management area.

The report said fishers should either be required to have special permits or licences to fish in the area for some species, or the harbour set up as a separate quota management area to limit the pressure on the fish.

"There is significant concern about this because of the precedent it would create. The policy of one size fits all for all of New Zealand is open to debate."

The study used Niwa figures showing commercial catches of flatfish, grey mullet, and dogfish (rig) were falling. Shellfish beds, including pipi, scallops and cockles were also depleted. Despite the falling catches, Kaipara Harbour was responsible for an increasing percentage of the catch from the management area. Recreational fishers were also increasingly fighting for space in the harbour.

He said the problem was first noted by locals who found they could no longer catch fish that were once plentiful.

It was backed up by Niwa's study of fish in the area, commissioned by the group.

"That is important to all the community, particularly Maori because they have customary rights."

He said the problem had reached the point where there was conflict in the area - in 1997, a gun was used in an argument at Tinopai when someone entered an area with a rahui (ban) on it to fish.

"It comes because Kaipara is no longer a forgotten place.

"When I was a child no one knew where it was but as we speak overseas investment magazines are saying Kaipara is the place to be and that press means we have a whole set of issues to deal with."

Committee demands

Among demands from a sustainable fishery committee:

* A two-year ban on scallop taking.

* Bigger minimum net mesh sizes.

* Bigger minimum fish sizes.

* Ensuring nets are checked regularly to stop waste.