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/48969
LETTERS Letters to the editor are encouraged from readers who wish to say nice things, raise an industry concern or even get something off their chest. Letters are published in good faith and may be abridged if too verbose or on the edge of being libellous. In fact, in 15 years we have only refused to publish two letters. For this reason, while we will protect an author's identity if requested by "name withheld on request", letters must be clearly marked by name and address, signed or emailed as verification of authenticity. Letters not clearly signed may not see the light of day. TUNA FADS Dear Sir In his article in the last issue, entitled Pacific tuna face real threats, Karli Thomas of Greenpeace speaks of fish aggregation devices (FADs) drifting around the Pacific as the major cause of juvenile big eye tuna and yellowfin tuna being an unsustainable way of harvesting tuna. It must be remembered that scientists always aim to set minimum legal sizes of fish species for recreational fishers at a size where the species is able to reproduce at least once before being taken and killed. It is quite right that these FADs do not select fish that have reached this minimum legal size. So for Greenpeace to encourage the public to only buy tuna taken by traditional methods such as pole fishing is a great initiative towards sustainability for both commercial and recreational fishers. On a recent trip to Tahiti with local Tahitian friends, I was enlightened by those who fished there of what was really going on. Being French-speaking, I listened very carefully to what the local fishers had to say while we trolled lures around the local public FADs. I asked about the foreign FADs the purse seiners were using and if they were common. I asked if they were permanently anchored structures and how often foreign vessels visited them. Of course local Tahitians protect somewhat their own waters but I was told these FADs drifted around, in and out of Tahitian waters. The following words saddened me, because the technology around these drifting FADs spells bad news for tuna and accidental bycatch. • The FAD is drifting • The FADS have locator beacons so mothership seiners can easily find them • A monitoring sonar device transmits the abundance of tuna from anywhere far away via satellites. The local Tahitian told me many of these FADs could probably be monitored from as far away as Japan and Korea via the GPS network • Having constant sonar knowledge of the accumulated tuna saves fuel when the fish are not there, and • Such advanced fishing saves costs saving and is very efficient. • Wall-of-death drift nets are never going to be as destructive as drifting FADs, with locator beacons and sonar monitoring wide out from these devices. This is not good news, so what can we do about it. Alain Jorion, Gisborne FOREIGN CHARTERS Dear Sir Excellent article in the latest issue on Korean FCVs – Fishing Slaves. In it you mention the July 14 announcement by Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley that there would be an enquiry into the FCV industry. There have been further announcements on it, but so far no dates, venues or other details to enable those of us with an axe to grind to take part. Am I missing something here? I take it that you will be doing a follow-up for the next issue, encouraging interested parties to get involved? In theory and as a matter of principle, the whole FCV issue is bad for New Zealand. From what I have seen at close range, I know that having Korean vessels here is definitely bad for us. I urge anyone who can produce evidence or who can testify to the facts to get up and tell the truth. I am starting to work on my submission now. R Lea Clough See the news story in this issue about public submissions. Ed… KIWI SKILLS Dear Sir Congratulations on a truly excellent piece of work on the FCV issue in your latest issue. You are so right, we have the ability and the people to New Zealandise this fishery. I have many friends who are deep-sea masters who have fished all around the world who would prepared to step SUBSCRIBE NOW! 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