The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/142553
thousands of dollars each year by eating bait and trapped fish, and by damaging gear. As the passenger had declared the crabs, he escaped a fine, although he faced a $20 charge after choosing to have MPI euthanise and store the crustaceans for collection on his way out of New Zealand. PAUA PLUNDER Over a period of days 200 shucked and undersized paua were found on Tuamoto Island off Sponge Bay by surfer Gary McKenzie. The minimum size allowed by law is 125mm, and McKenzie says there were a total of 237 shells ranging in size from 52mm to 110mm in diameter. When McKenzie discovered 50 or 60 undersized paua shells behind a large rock, he at first believed it to be a small scale poaching operation. He subsequently found more shells and returned the next day to collect the evidence. "I'm picking there are three to four spots around the island where they have been raping the place of undersize paua," McKenzie said. He contacted a Ministry of Primary Industries fisheries officer who presumed that the paua had been shucked there and the meat taken away. From the condition of the shucked shells it was likely the paua had been taken two to three weeks earlier. Ministry of Primary Industries fisheries district compliance manager Tom Teneti says Tuamotu Island is an easy target for poachers because of its proximity to town. Poachers' strategy of shucking undersize paua on the island and taking the meat is a relatively new development as thieves have become aware of the likelihood fisheries officers being close by, Teneti says. "That particular resource has been under pressure for a number of years. On one other occasion over summer we came across a similar incident when we found a bag of paua meat in the Sponge Bay car park." Fisheries still rely on public information but officers work to implement strategies which mitigate the risk of that kind of activity. "This incident only underlines for us the fact people are going to all extremes to get paua. It's not rocket science. If it's all take, take, take. It's like a cheque account. That resource will run out." NO CHANGES FOR STRIPED MARLIN Recreational fishers need no longer fear commercialisation of New Zealand's striped marlin. The Ministry for Primary Industries has announced there will be no changes to the management of striped marlin. www.skipper.co.nz MARINE CRANES & Truck Loader Cranes, for all applications VIPS78 VIP.S78 The seizure of live crabs is unusual Talks have been held with commercial and recreational fishers on the management of the marlin fishery and a ban on commercial landings of marlin caught within New Zealand fisheries waters in 1991 stands. James Stevenson-Wallace, director of Fisheries Management MPI, says he recognises the considerable value striped marlin provides for the recreational game fishery. He also acknowledges that commercial fishers believe some changes could be made to reduce what they see as unnecessary waste of marlin bycatch in tuna longline fishers. Both commercial and non-commercial fishers have sought changes to the existing management. The recreational sector would like to prohibit New Zealand vessels from landing marlin caught outside of New Zealand waters and to prohibit imports. This would strengthen the recreational-only status of the fishery and support the efforts of international game fishing organisations. The commercial sector in turn would like to be able to land some or all of the marlin they catch, while noting the wastage that comes from discarding dead marlin. Commercial fishers believe marlin could form a small but valuable component of overall fishery profitability and would also remove a constraint not experienced by other fishing fleets in the region. The views of the two sectors remain largely unchanged after talks held in November 2012 and May 2013. The Ministry for Primary Industries believes the current management provides the best balance, as it allows for the overall value of the fishery to be maintained, particularly as a consensus has not been reached. Custom marinised to suit New Zealand conditions. Spare parts for all cranes. ALLCRANE Sales & Services Ltd Auckland,NZ ph:0800 ALLCRANE (0800 255 27263) sales@allcrane.co.nz - www.allcrane.co.nz July/August 2013 Professional Skipper 69