Ban urged on inshore trawling

TOO CLOSE: This trawler was pictured about 1km off Mowhanau just before Christmas by residents Alex Gauthier and Karen McIntyre. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 07012014WCSUPTRAWLER1

A growing number of voices have joined the chorus calling for a ban on trawlers fishing close to Wanganui's coastline.

That follows yesterday's Chronicle story about recreational fishers at Mowhanau upset with commercial boats coming in close to the shoreline and netting tonnes of fish from the area.

They say the commercial sweeps are decimating fish stock and making it virtually impossible for locals to catch fish for their families.

Now the Chronicle has photographic evidence of at least one trawler fishing within a kilometre of Kai Iwi beach.

Alex Gauthier and Karen McIntyre, who live at Mowhanau, said they were trying to catch some fish for Christmas. They managed to catch just four in the six days up until Christmas Eve. But while fishing they photographed a trawler working the area and say the images show it was no further than 1km off the beach.

"The trawler's name is the Savannah and is from New Plymouth, and they were netting every day," Ms McIntyre said.

"We have found there are very few fish being caught locally at the moment by any of the locals," she said.

Yesterday Wanganui District councillor Ray Stevens said a public meeting would be called "in the very near future".

He said it would be open to the public and expected it to involve anyone with an interest in preserving fish stock for recreational fishers.

"I'm going to be talking to the council's iwi liaison officer, John Maihi, as well as the Department of Conservation," Mr Stevens said. "We have to get around the table and hear all the views, establish what the issues are and come up with viable solutions."

He said the district council would not push for change to the Wanganui inshore fishery, but at the very least it could facilitate that push. He had also contacted Whanganui MP Chester Borrows seeking his support.

"We're talking about the pillaging of our recreational inshore fishery and it's happening right in front of us," he said.

Mr Stevens said the importance of recreational fishing could never be underestimated and it meant a great deal to many locals who took part.

While the Government would ultimately have to be involved in some sort of solution, he said he favoured something similar to the marina reserve set up off New Plymouth. "But obviously something must be done to stop what's been happening and continues to happen."

Yesterday's front page story prompted a strong reaction on the Chronicle Facebook page and those postings ranged from the moderate to the more extreme.

Jay Rerekura suggested sinking the trawlers, while Chris Tunbridge said he would support a 5km coastal restriction for inshore trawlers to protect the recreational fishing areas.

Kelly Glasgow advocated banning trawlers altogether, saying it was "a disgusting industry that is going to finish only when they have managed to completely deplete the ocean of fish for everyone".

Ryan Worsley said trawlers worked very close to the shore every year.

"They come in and take everything and they're worried about us recreational fishermen and our limits. It's not us doing the damage. Those rapist trawlers are," he wrote.

Len Moase said the same thing was happening further north, off Waverley and Waiinu.

"This happens each year. I know someone who has reported it (to the Ministry of Primary Industries) but unless the boat doesn't comply with its quota, we can't do a thing," he wrote.

The Chronicle also fielded a phone calls from people upset and angry about commercial fishers working so close to the Wanganui coastline.

One man suggested that unless some firm action was taken "it could get out of hand".

"There are people in this town who rely on the fish they catch from our coast to feed their families. What these trawlers are doing is destroying that," he said.