Seafood NZ clarifies small-scale fishers’ exemption under new marine law

Cars towing boats travel across the city on Saturday morning. Photo / Jessica Hopkins, RNZ

By RNZ

Seafood New Zealand says claims from commercial fishing is allowed in two of 12 new High Protection Areas (HPAs) is misleading.

A convoy of recreational fishers travelled across Auckland in a rally on Saturday morning, towing boats. The One Ocean protest, co-organised by fishing enthusiast Ben Chissell, targeted aspects of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act and other proposed fishing reforms.

The law, which came into effect in October, created a group of new marine protected zones while also allowing exclusive use of two highly protected areas by commercial ring-net fishing operators. Protesters wanted the marine reserves to apply to everyone.

Seafood New Zealand chief executive Lisa Futschek said one exception was made for five small-scale ring-net fishers who provide kaimoana to local communities and marae.

She said claims from protesters that commercial fishing was allowed in two of 12 reserves was misleading.

“[Five small-scale ring-net fishers] have been given a just transition. They are able to fish within a very small section of two of the HPAs, but it’s a grandfathered provision – so that means when all of those individual fishers exit, they can’t be replaced. They can’t pass on that exception.”

Seafood NZ assured One Ocean protesters the Government was not planning to add any species to the quota management system.

She said what was being proposed was if marlin or some reef fish were caught as bycatch, they would be able to be kept and sold.

“What is on the table are two proposals which would see certain species, marlin and some reef fish, able to be sold commercially when they are caught as bycatch by commercial fishers. So that’s a very, very different thing.”

Despite concerns of traffic congestion, by 10am Saturday, the hundreds of people driving in part of the convoy had mostly passed over the Harbour Bridge with minimal disruption.

Fisheries Minister Shane Jones previously said it was “a bit late” to protest, as recreational fishing lobby group LegaSea had “signed up to this policy some years ago”. LegaSea denied this. Chissell said the One Ocean Protest was a separate entity.

– RNZ