Professional Skipper Magazine from VIP Publications

WATERFRONT BUSINESS In brief��� Antifoul on radio Professional Skipper magazine editor Keith Ingram says it would be impossible to enforce restrictions on the use of antifouling paints on the hulls of New Zealand boats. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research has found copper is leaching from the paints and is looking at phasing out or limiting the paints, including one proposal to restrict their application to approved handlers. Ingram said that would give some people a licence to print money and many boaties would rebel. He also said paints that do not contain copper are less effective, and dirty hulls slow boats down, causing them to drag in the water and use more fuel. Research boost for seafood The New Zealand seafood industry and its research partners, including Plant and Food Research, NIWA and Cawthron Institute, have welcomed a $5 million government research grant. ���New Zealand seafood has a strong future as global demand for protein continues to escalate, and this funding will significantly boost our research efforts towards increasing sustainable seafood production in both aquaculture and wild fisheries,��� says Dave Sharp, Chair of Seafood Innovations Limited. Sharp says the collaborative research programme will focus on extending existing projects and undertaking new projects aimed at improving the use of New Zealand���s marine environment to sustainably produce and export larger quantities of more valuable and more diverse seafood. ���The collaborative research programme will be invaluable in strengthening New Zealand seafood���s position in world markets as a source of premium, high value and demonstrably sustainable seafood.��� The funding follows work on the world���s first automated mussel opener and precursor research which has led to two multi-million dollar primary growth partnership projects. ���We look forward to further developing the research programme with our partners and would like to thank the Minister of Business, Innovation and Employment for his confidence in New Zealand seafood,��� says Sharp. New Zealand seafood exports total $1.56 billion year and the sector employs (directly and indirectly) 26,000 people. 44 Professional Skipper March/April 2013 MPI REPORT HEALTHY FISHERY THE RECENTLY RELEASED Ministry for Primary Industries Status of New Zealand Fisheries 2012 report says that 83.2 percent of fish stocks, by far the majority of New Zealand���s fisheries of known status, are healthy and are performing well. The summary report shows fisheries management actions have created a noticeable improvement during the past year for the minority of stocks where there has been concern about overfishing. ���The overall trend is now showing steady improvement in these fisheries. It has gone from one in four to less than one in five over three years.��� At this point, only 0.5 percent of New Zealand���s fish stocks (by tonnage of landings) fall below the so-called hard limit where fisheries closures may be needed. These have now either been closed or have had significant reductions in allowable catches imposed. Healthy stocks make up 96.6 percent of the landings where the status is known.��� MPI is puzzled by some reporting that has occurred over the past year, says Pamela Mace, Principal Adviser for Fisheries Science. ���Some commentators do not take the trouble to understand and report what is really going on. We recognise this is a highly technical area and we are happy to clarify. For example, simply because a stock is below the management target does not mean it is ���overfished��� or ���in danger���, as has been repeatedly reported by the media and some environmental organisations. The commentators overlook that New Zealand���s fisheries get consistently high ratings in independent international studies.��� New Total Allowable Catch reductions or voluntary catch limits have been initiated this year to rebuild five stocks of bluenose and one stock each of rock lobster and paua. As a member of the Commission for Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, New Zealand continued to implement a management plan to rebuild SBT, which occur seasonally in our waters. Dr Mace says MPI acknowledges that there are still stocks of unknown status and that more research is required to gain the necessary benchmarking information. The report highlights: ��� Hoki has now fully rebuilt ��� Chatham Rise orange roughy has a much-improved outlook ��� Campbell Island southern blue whiting is at a historic high ��� Numbers of several South Island stocks of gurnard, elephant fish and John Dory have increased significantly Commercial Maritime Security Service PIRACY IS SPREADING rapidly from its Somalian roots, across the Indian Ocean as far as the Gulf of Guinea, Bangladesh and Indonesia. With the wind-down of EUNAFOR���s naval presence in the Gulf of Aden in 2014, there is likely to be a major escalation in piracy in the Indian Ocean threatening some of the world���s busiest shipping routes. At present 147 hostages are being held by pirates in Somalia. In the Gulf of Guinea, where there is no UK, EUNAVFOR or US Naval presence, maritime crime is escalating and is spiralling to such levels that the UN Security Council has recognised it as a specific threat to international shipping. It is estimated that the state of Nigeria is losing $1bn of crude oil through theft every month. To date, ride-on Vessel Protection Detachments, or Details, have provided armed personnel to live aboard the client ship for the duration of the transit. However the client vessels have to detour for their embarkation and disembarkation, often at significant cost. Typhon Maritime Security Service is launching its marine convoy escort service for ship operators transiting the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, to address this threat. Typhon���s Operations Centre in the UAE detects threats of piracy at long range enabling clients to transit safely through the network of pirate groups and to avoid known trouble hot spots. The convoys travel in a protected ���envelope���, and the use of force is a last resort and is always reasonable and proportionate using the minimum amount of force necessary. With millions paid out in ransoms to pirates and much more money lost by businesses in fuel costs avoiding pirates, the benefits to business will be substantial. Typhon is operated by senior ex-RN and RM officers, with the backing of two major international shipping companies.

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