Fishing: Govt to reconsider kahawai take issue

The allocation of kahawai quota may be reconsidered on the basis of the species' importance to the recreational sector, Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope told the annual NZ Recreational Fishing Council.

He would not be considering any other controls on amateur fishers' kahawai take, allaying immediate concerns on a size or bag limit.

Benson-Pope said recreational fishers were not catching their allocation under the quota management system. The catch was particularly low in the Hauraki Gulf.

The minister will reconsider the kahawai issue in light of a ministry paper which offers two courses of action: the status quo, or recognising the value of a species specifically for recreation and suggesting stocks be maintained above that required under existing law.

A 10 per cent cut in the commercial catch of 3035 tonnes and amateur allowance of 1865 tonnes is academic since that target is not reached, it suggests.

That would require restraints on the purse-seine take, via which the industry makes $2 million a year from selling kahawai to Australia for salmon feed and cray bait.

The Fisheries Act requires the minister to set a quota at a level which provides best return and maintains sustainability, generally 20 per cent of the virgin biomass.

Recreational groups including NZRFC, NZ Big Game Fishing Council and option4 are unconvinced.

One of those involved described the 10 per cent option as a "paper cut". There is concern that some stocks including West Coast snapper have been fished well below that. Unlike snapper, which has millions invested in it via research due to its export value, little research is done on kahawai stocks.

Industry is sure to lobby for the minister to spurn the change in policy suggested in the paper.

Snapper might be next to be raised in recreational status in the north, and blue cod in the south, and cuts to commercial quota might follow, the industry will fear.

Mullet and flounder are also in the quota discussion net.

The snapper stock in area SNA8, west coast from Wellington north, is seriously depleted. A cut in the daily limit of 15 to 10 is more than likely. It's to be hoped industry is similarly curtailed.

The 10 limit will match that applicable already from Kawhia Harbour south, where the fish caught are generally older and larger than those in the Manukau, Kaipara and other harbours further north where average catch of fish in the just-legal to 33cm range resulted in the bigger bag limit of 15.

If there is to be a reduction, it would make sense to at least have some uniformity and bring all fisheries down to the nine that applies in the Hauraki Gulf and elsewhere, or the 10 Kawhia-south.

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Hauraki Gulf fishing has been hard and southeast winds and easterly gales have not helped. The southeast is generally regarded as the worst fishing wind and we proved that again early this week, with five pannies and four kahawai to show for a long day.

Charter operator Eugyn de Bruin has not needed to go much further than the Rangitoto lighthouse for good pan-size fish in the legal-to-33cm range. It's hard work and de Bruyn said having a couple of locals with knowledge, to change baits, keep the baits moving and cast around different areas when anchored made the difference.

"The bigger fish are there but they are in sleepy winter mode and you have to do something to bring them on," he said.

The bays on the north side are producing.

In the rare calm weather, bigger fish are holding close to rocks around Rakino, Waiheke, the Ahas and Noiseys, with lots of berley required and squid working better than pilchard and bonito.

Strips of fresh bait are better still. Patience is required, as is a hard strike because the bigger fish will run then drop the bait as soon as they feel weight on the line.

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River fishing has improved in the Taupo district but the behaviour of some anglers leaves lots to be desired.

There was conflict on some pools, particularly on the Tongariro and Tauranga/Taupo last weekend, after rains encouraged good runs of spawning fish.

Pushing-in on the line moving up the river resulted in some heated arguments and the local fisheries officers asked for some courtesy to be displayed.

The Tauranga/Taupo was unfishable mid-week after heavy rain but was expected to clear by the weekend and the Tongariro was clearing earlier.

The lake has been quiet angler-wise but those venturing out are still doing well, said Department of Conservation officer Glenn Maclean.