Call for balance between recreational and commercial fishing

A group has called for better balance between commercial fishing interests and recreational fishers. Picture/NZ Advocate.

A research group is making a case for the creation of an advocacy body to balance the interests of inshore recreational fishers with those of the commercial sector.

The group, The New Zealand Initiative, said hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders fish recreationally each year in inshore waters but that too little attention had been directed at improving the fisheries that were important to them.

The late Sir Douglas Myers, himself a keen fisherman, supported the research project, which recommends New Zealand adopts a regime similar to that in place in Western Australia, under not-for-profit organisation Recfishwest.

In a supporting letter, Recfishwest's co-founder, Ian Stagles said the old adversarial commercial-versus-recreational environment had largely disappeared since the organisation was established in 1994.

The report, by Randall Bess, a research fellow at The New Zealand Initiative and former a consultant for the US-based Environmental Defense Fund, said if changes are not made to the management of recreational fisheries, Kiwis can expect increasingly stringent constraints on their access to fisheries resources.

He said depletion had already occurred in the blue cod and scallop fisheries in the Marlborough Sounds, the finfish fishery in Hawkes Bay and the rock lobster fishery along the northeast coast of the North Island.

"First, we need broad representation of recreational fishing interests with the establishment of a Western Australia type institution recognised by the Government.

"This will be the source of peak body advice and central point of contact and referral for recreational sector issues."

"Secondly, this Peak Body, the Government and other fishing sectors -customary and commercial - need to demonstrate a commitment to constructive and effective management of shared fisheries," it said.

"Thirdly, we recommend integrating recreational fisheries into government and ministry management policies and processes," it said.

The report said New Zealand's Quota Management System - which allocates fish resources to the commercial sector - was in need of an upgrade. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Bess said in the report that New Zealand's Quota Management System - which allocates fish resources to the commercial sector - was in need of an upgrade.

The report recommended a process to reallocate a total allowable catches (TACs) over time.

"It is important that this process benefits recreational fishers and compensates [commercial] quota holders," it said.

Bess said the new body could be funded from existing petrol taxes.

"Boat-based fishers pay tens of millions of dollars in petrol excise duty each year, but get little back to maintain their fishing experience. The excise duty paid goes towards road building.

"We propose the Government agree to initially fund the new recreational representative peak body using a portion of the petrol excise duty already paid by recreational fishers," he said.

The Government could later review the peak body's role and funding.

"Our first recommendation is for the new Government and all fishing sectors to demonstrate a commitment to constructive and effective management of shared fisheries," the report said.

The New Zealand initiative is an independent public policy think tank supported by chief executives of big New Zealand businesses.