Dan and Erika Harvey of family-owned commercial fishing business Red Line Fishing Ltd fear increased compliance costs could force them out of the industry. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Dan and Erika Harvey of family-owned commercial fishing business Red Line Fishing Ltd fear increased compliance costs could force them out of the industry. Photo / Sandra Conchie
New fisheries rules could force smaller operators out of the industry, Tauranga business owners say.
They also fear that increased costs of implementing the new regulations will mean the price of fish may go up, including at local fish and chip shops.
The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which passed its finalreading last month, is aimed at strengthening and modernising the management of the country's fisheries.
Key changes include onboard cameras on vessels, reporting of all fish caught whether a quota management system species or not, and changes to landing discarding rules.
The bill also introduces more graduated offences and a penalty regime for commercial fishers to ensure fines are more appropriate to the size of the offence.
Tauranga-based Erika Harvey is head of innovation in the family-owned commercial fishing company Red Line Fishing, which has three working vessels and employs up to a dozen staff.
"We are a third-generation business... My husband has been involved in the industry for 20 years and it's all he has known since he left school at 15."
Harvey, who stood for New Zealand First in Tauranga in 2020, said she feared the new bill meant compliance costs will go up even more.
"We also don't yet know how much it will cost us to install cameras on our vessels."
Harvey said she believed the new rules were making it impossible for small business owners to make ends meet and could potentially force people out of business.
"It will also make fish more expensive and price it out of reach for those who cannot catch fish themselves."
Roger Rawlinson, one of the directors of RMD Marine Limited. Photo / Photo / Myjanne Jensen
Harvey said they were part of the first camera trials more than 16 years ago.
"But this legislation gives more power back to the large corporates that can afford to pay the increased compliance fees pushing small, sustainable family-owned ventures like ours out of the industry.
"With multiple cameras running 24/7 it will produce an unmanageable amount of data requiring even more costs."
Harvey said she was also concerned about privacy, as people lived on some of the vessels.
"The end result from our perspective is compliance costs go up, even more, the fisheries stay the same and we can be fined $10,000 for eating a snapper out of our net."
Roger Rawlinson, a Tauranga-based director of RMD Marine Tauranga, said it had three trawlers with up to 25 fishermen aboard and each year the company's operating costs, including wages, fuel, and compliance costs go up.
"It's been hard enough to absorb those costs let alone meet the added expense of more compliance costs, including more data collection costs.
"I have spent millions building up the business over the years and I want to be able to leave a profitable and sustainable business to my children."
Rawlinson said he heard of at least one other commercial fisher who was considering exiting the industry.
"Like many others, fishing is all I have known for the past 35 years... And if the goalposts keep moving there will be no one playing on the field."
Mag Palmer, owner of Mags Fresh Fish takeaways in Mount Maunganui, said the price of fish had already been “skyrocketing” due to the shortage of some fish species and rising costs of diesel, wages, and fish processing.
Palmer, who has worked in the industry since 1988, said there was no doubt more compliance costs would mean a trickle-down effect for small independent businesses such as hers and fish will be even more expensive to buy.
"To survive unfortunately we will have to pass on some of the increased costs to customers," she said.
Charlie Rahiri, chairperson of Ngāti Ranginui's Fisheries, said his iwi did not have any direct fishing interest and does not own any vessels, and their quota was managed elsewhere.
"However, we are part owners in a fish processing and retail outlet, therefore we expect these regulations are followed to protect and promote the sustainability of the industry."
Rahiri said the industry was under immense pressure and was slowly recovering from the impacts of Covid-19 lockdowns.
"We share some views of fishers who say the increased regulation will mean increased costs. These costs will no doubt be passed on eventually reaching customers.
"Tighter regulation whilst welcome could have negative effects on operators and ultimately consumers."
Eileen Tapsell, the director of Ngāti Pūkenga's fishing company, said the iwi only had a small fishing quota and it was unlikely these changes would directly impact the iwi.
Ngāi Te Rangi Fisheries chairman Puhirake Ihaka said the full impact of the legislation on the iwi's fisheries interests was still being explored.
The Bay of Plenty Times has approached the Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker about the criticisms made by locals about the new rules.
Parker earlier said the bill will help ensure the continued health and resilience of the country’s oceans and coastal ecosystems and “the role of fisheries within that”.
Parker said on-board cameras and changes to discarding rules will help incentivise better commercial fishing practices and more selective targeting of fish and ensure sustainable use of fisheries nationwide.
The bill also introduces a new defence of allowing fishers to return live survivable catch to the sea if necessary to save marine mammals or protected species of sharks and rays.
