Sealord deep-sea fishing vessel Will Watch. Sealord welcomed the proposed law change, saying it would make the system fairer without creating incentives to target inshore species. Photo / Sealord
The Government plans to change bycatch rules to ease costs for deepwater commercial fishers who are increasingly catching inshore species further out to sea.
The announcement by Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones comes after he backed down last week from a controversial plan to allow commercial fishers to land and sell dead marlin bycatch. The proposal sparked strong opposition from recreational fishers and conservationists.
Jones said his U-turn followed strong arguments put to him at a meeting with representatives from the recreational and sport fishing industries at Paihia in December, emphasising the significant economic contribution those activities make nationally.
Jones said the latest proposal, included in the Fisheries Act Amendment Bill due early this year, would let officials set different “deemed value rates” for inshore species caught by deepwater freezer boats. Deemed values are the charges for catch taken above a fisher’s Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE).
Currently, deemed values are based on the premium price of fresh inshore fish, while deepwater operators must freeze their catch, reducing its value. Despite this, they pay the same rate – a system Jones says is “punitive and unfair”.
He said warming seas were pushing species such as snapper and kingfish further offshore, increasing bycatch, and the change recognised operational differences and longstanding feedback that the one-size-fits-all approach no longer worked for many commercial fishers.
Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin welcomed the move, saying it would make the system fairer without creating incentives to target inshore species.
“The deemed value price of snapper is currently $4.50 per GW/kg. The current value to Sealord of frozen-at-sea snapper is $3.60 GW/kg, therefore that would be the deemed value charged for that species.
“This amended system still ensures there is no financial upside for the deepwater fisher of catching these inshore bycatch species as per the purpose of the deemed value system.”
Sam Woolford, who leads the LegaSea sustainable fishing group, said the proposal highlighted deeper problems within the quota management system.
Deep-sea jack‑mackerel vessels operating in Kingfish 8 (North Cape to Cook Strait) had repeatedly caught 200–256% of their kingfish allocation in earlier years and, even after quota was nearly doubled in the 2020-21 season from 45 to 80 tonnes, they still exceeded it by 123%, routinely fishing well above their legal allowance.
He noted that only in the past two seasons had catch levels fallen to 87% and 93% of the allocation, but said this did not negate the long-term pattern of excessive overcatch.
“They just completely disregard their quota and pay the deemed value – they’re treating the fine as just another cost of doing business,” he said. “Lobbying the minister to reduce the deemed value is going to be great for their business.”
Woolford said deemed values were designed to penalise fishers for catching species they are not meant to take, encouraging more selective fishing and reducing pressure on valuable stocks. But for a prized, high‑value species like kingfish – important for tourism and coastal communities – reducing penalties for overcatch would encourage even less selective methods at a time when practices should be evolving beyond irresponsible means such as traditional drag netting.
High-profile recreational fishing advocate Matt Watson echoed Woolford’s concerns, saying the changes could make matters worse for fishers and communities.
“When you have these huge deep-sea fishing boats not being penalised for landing inshore species they don’t have quota for, it is a worrying sign. I’m sure the shareholders of the big fishing companies will be happy, but it’s bad news for our moana, the Kiwi public who depend on healthy inshore stock levels, and the local inshore commercial fishers who still have to pay the higher deemed cost.”
Industry representative Craig Lawson said he could see potential value in the proposal, but stressed that “the devil will be in the detail”.
Ensuring the total allowable catch was set correctly was crucial, especially as climate change shifted species distributions. He said modern electronic reporting and cameras provided reliable real‑time data to support more responsive adjustments.
The proposed deemed value changes might have merit as a “temporary mechanism”, he said, but any changes needed to maintain the right incentives across the system to ensure long-term sustainability.
Kris Wyatt, a Northland-based commercial fisherman, said most small operators would not be directly affected.
“We’ll probably be fine because all of our quota’s covered by the company we fish to. Kingfish could be an issue if we catch too much, but that’s about it.”
Wyatt said his bigger concern was the growing number of fishing areas being closed without consultation or compensation, which he feared could put family-run operations like his out of business.
The Fisheries Act Amendment Bill will go through a select committee process later this year, giving the public – including recreational fishers and environmental groups – a chance to have their say.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, covering a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, mostly as a court reporter in Gisborne and on the East Coast.