Fishing: Sweet taste of victory for the amateurs

By PETER JESSUP

The new fishing season has opened with another minor victory for recreational fishers after Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson's refused to accept the industry's push for an increase in the tarakihi take.

Hodgson did lift the total allowable catch, but the rises are for customary and recreational allowance and really only reflect poor catch information from surveys in 1996.

The total allowable catch is up from 1773 tonnes to 1958 tonnes; customary is up 45 tonnes to 70 tonnes and recreational is up 310 tonnes to 470 tonnes.

In his decision, Hodgson says the industry "had made encouraging progress in engaging with recreational fishers and detailing their proposed catch spreading arrangements", but that views remain divided on the effect a larger commercial take would have on areas of importance to amateurs.

The minister had already suggested the commercial fishers explore increasing their take from catch areas that were not sensitive to the public.

"The proponents have chosen not to consider such a commitment and I have decided to decline the proposal," his decision said.

The commercial hoki quota in one area off the South Island West Coast has been cut by 20,000 tonnes to 180,000 tonnes after acceptance that the fishery is in decline.

Paua quotas in Southland and Otago have also been reduced because of stock concerns.

In Sydney, recreational fishers will be spending A$70 ($81) for a new season licence; A$10 for a month, and A$5 for three days. Much of the cost apparently goes into enforcement of the licensing.

Protests against the licensing regime were over-ruled. The fishery off Sydney remains in decline.

You have only to visit the Pyrmont Fish Market to verify that. Thomas Hanratty, retail manager of De Costi Seafoods, estimates that about 30 per cent of its product comes from New Zealand, from greenlipped mussels to kina roe, blue cod, flounder and farmed salmon - but mostly snapper.

"The snapper stocks are low here so it's high-priced," he said. "The customers ask for New Zealand snapper because it's cheaper."

All the New Zealand seafood arrives by air under the conditions De Costi's insist on - less than 48 hours from catch. The company is one of many within the market compound but differs in its presentation.

Everything is carefully laid out for best display - fish fillets individually lapped over one another, crabs stuck in ice claws-up in rows, oysters opened and packed half-shell, your chosen fish cut up how you would like it.

My choice, given several trips to Sydney thanks to the Warriors' run in the NRL finals series, is prawns.

It's not well-known that you can bring fresh fish, or prawns, back from Australia. De Costi's will pack them with ice (no dry ice, airlines don't allow it), so you can send it to the hold with luggage. The ice will still be solid on arrival.

You can take smoked fish, which they don't do properly in Australia, paua and whitebait the other way. The Australian entry officers ask if the whitebait is gutted and filleted.

* Some of the country's best fly-fishers will be in action in the annual CD Rods Pairs contest on Lake Rotoaira, but the aim is to encourage the not-so-good as well.

For information go to Sport Fly Fishing New Zealand or check Tight Loops.