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/56633
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES NZ TOPS MONITORING SURVEY A Canadian survey has placed New Zealand at the top of a list of 41 countries for the quality of its fisheries monitoring control and surveillance work. The director general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wayne McNee, said it was reassuring to learn New Zealand was "right up there" when it came to this important component of fisheries management. "We've already been recognised as having one of the world's best fisheries management systems, and it is great to now receive this accolade for our crucial compliance work," said McNee. "It's a tribute to everyone who puts such enormous effort, skill and expertise into our field operations." The Fisheries Centre at the University of Columbia, Canada, published the comprehensive compliance evaluation report on 41 fishing nations from Angola to Vietnam. New Zealand topped the poll overall on 11 measures covering infrastructure and vessel inspection. New Zealand scored maximum points on one measure – does the country have adequate surveillance infrastructure (patrol aircraft, sea-based patrol vessels and coastal patrols) to effectively patrol fisheries resources within its EEZ – and came very close on a number of others. McNee says MAF's collaboration with the New Zealand Defence Force and other agencies contributed greatly to the result. TOOTHFISH FISHING TO CONTINUE IN THE ROSS SEA The organisation which monitors fishing below 60 degrees south is to consider a New Zealand proposal to create a marine protected area within the Ross Sea at its meeting in October. If the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources agreed to the proposal it would create one of the largest MPAs on the high seas, covering an area of 2.5 million sq km, roughly three times the size of New Zealand. However, it would not exclude areas fished for toothfish in the Ross Sea. The proposal from New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade still has to go before Cabinet. The government said the proposal was not influenced by three recent major maritime incidents in the Ross Sea: the Jeong Woo 2, the No 1 Insung and the Russian longliner Sparta. "Fishing in the Ross Sea is risky because of the ice conditions," said Cath Wallace, the co-chairman of the Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand. "The international community has marked out this area for particular protection." The CCAMLR considered toothfish stocks sustainable and thus backed efforts to improve the information body. The convention has declared the safety of vessels in the Ross Sea to be the responsibility of flag states. It did not perform any safety or welfare checks. The executive secretary of CCAMLR, Andrew Wright, said the Ross Sea was safe in certain conditions. "It's a very harsh environment, remote and difficult. A lot depends on the standards applied or adhered to by fishing vessels ... there are a lot of factors to be taken into account." Member states of the convention conduct inspections in the Ross Sea fishery which were compiled and presented at its yearly meeting. New Zealand administers the Ross Dependency but lacks the jurisdiction to unilaterally declare an MPA or keep ships from entering its waters. The New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries controls its flagged 64 Professional Skipper March/April 2012 toothfish longliner fleet and their safety. Four such boats are registered with CCAMLR. FISHING BY THE NUMBERS Recreational skippers shouldn't be surprised this summer if someone bearing a clipboard approaches their boat while they're busy trying to manoeuvre out of their marine boat ramp. Spare a moment for them, as it will be a staff member from NIWA or Blue Water Marine Research collecting recreational catch information. Commissioned by MAF, the surveys are part of the marine recreational fishing research programme to better understand and manage our fisheries. Recreational fishing is an important part of Kiwi culture, says MAF's director-general, Wayne McNee. "The information provided by this research will ensure the ministry can continue to sustainably manage our fisheries so the tradition can continue for many years to come," McNee says. Two other recreational fishing research projects commissioned by MAF include: • Aerial surveys of recreational fishing vessels along the coast between North Cape and East Cape to provide information on the spatial intensity and distribution of fishing effort. Aerial counts will be combined with fisher interview data to estimate recreational catch rates in this area. • Continuing the recreational fishing diary survey by the National Research Bureau of about 7000 fishers on when, where (the general area, not specific fishing spots) and how they fish, along with their total catch. "Taken together, the surveys are part of the largest marine recreational fishing research programme ever undertaken by MAF," says McNee. "Currently we only have a limited understanding of what's happening in our recreational fisheries, so this research is crucial to ensure good planning and decision-making." He says the aim of the surveys is to understand what's happening in New Zealand's recreational fisheries, rather than identifying fishing at specific sites. The results are expected to be released in June, 2013. See www.mfish/recreational/recreationalresearchprogramme BLUE COD FISHERY IS OPEN The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is calling on recreational fishers to follow the rules when they go fishing for blue cod in the Marlborough Sounds this year. The season opened just before Christmas and runs until the end of August. Field operations manager Ian Bright says fishery officers will be out making sure recreational fishers followed new rules introduced last year. The key rules are: • no fisher may possess more than two blue cod between 300mm and 350mm in length • two-hooks per line limit • blue cod must remain in a whole or gutted state at all times while fishers are on the water (ie, no filleting at sea), and • no fishing at all around Maud Island. A voluntary code of practice is also in place with recommended hook sizes and styles, as well as fish handling methods, to minimise release mortalities. Fines of $250 to $500 per offence can be imposed on fishers who ignore the rules. Serious breaches can result in confiscation of gear, boats and vehicles. "While adult blue cod are showing signs of recovery in the sounds, a cautionary management approach is in place to make