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INTO THE QMS? AMATEUR FISHING BY R LEA CLOUGH Recent writings on the subject of bringing recreational fisheries fully into the quota management system have moved occasional contributor Lea Clough to consider whether and how such a change could come about and what the effects would be. As always it remains his opinion as he asks: "Have I written anything that is not true or fair comment?". Ed T his writer has reflected on Gareth Morgan's recent article which advocated bringing the amateur fisheries fully into the QMS. When an economist of his stature suggests such a move, those in authority are very likely to take notice. It would confer the advantage of imposing order on what is essentially a rather disorderly activity. Further, it would enable the government to measure amateur catches accurately and constrain them within sustainable levels. For those who are not familiar with the QMS, each species in each management area has a set total allowable catch, which is the sum of the total allowable commercial catch (an exact figure, being the sum of commercial quotas for that species and area), the customary (Maori) catch, the recreational catch and an allowance for illegal catch (the last three are estimated figures). It could be argued that amateur fishing is therefore in the QMS already, but this article is based on the premise that the current estimated amateur take is to be transformed into a finite, regulated set of catches – let us call them the Total Allowable Recreational Catches (TARCs). This task will be carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. It has merged with the old Ministry of Fisheries in much the same way as a seal merges with a fish. The importance attached by government to the fisheries sector is reflected in its absence from the new ministry's title. In these times when the only constant is constant change, the ministry will, no doubt, be transformed into MAFF, with further expenditure on a new logo, letterhead etc, much of it paid for by the long-suffering industry they administer. They will, no doubt, proceed on much the same lines as they did to bring the commercial fishery into the QMS. They will embark on a publicity campaign to inform the New Zealand public of the impending change, giving them opportunity to make submissions and prepare for the new amateur fishing regime. If the commercial experience is followed, they will thank contributors to the debate and then proceed as they had intended all along. In that the essential element of the new system is the need to allow those already engaged in amateur fishing to continue at more or less the same level of activity, there will need to be a criteria period (just as there were a set of periods for commercial species) during which amateur take by each fisher can be recorded, so as to provide him/her with a catch history. From these catch histories MAF can calculate the recreational quota to be issued to each fisher. The immediate problem that 30 Professional Skipper May/June 2012 arises is just how MAF can obtain the catch records of all the amateur fishers during this period. Ask each amateur fisher to declare his annual take? The result would be a plethora of tales of fiction and imagination. No, it could only be done by introducing a permit system. Just as commercial quotas were allocated to holders of commercial permits, amateur quota would only be issued to those holding amateur permits and on the basis of fish actually taken under those permits. Each permit holder would be required to furnish a return, accurately listing his/her take for each day fished, initially to establish catch history, then, later, to ensure that the fisher's quota limits are adhered to. As in the commercial fisheries, the catch, effort and landing return must be filled in before landing the fish. Failure to do so will incur an infringement fee, similar to the penalty inflicted on commercial fishers and on amateurs for minor breaches of the current rules. More serious offences, such a deliberate falsification of the return, would result in prosecution, fines and forfeiture of gear, boat, trailer, towing vehicle etc. In the commercial fisheries, MAF has a sophisticated system of comparison of fishers' returns with fish receivers' returns to ensure the integrity of the QMS. In that amateurs are their own fish receivers, another verification system would be needed. There would have to be close coverage of all amateur landings. MAF officers will have to have an almost constant presence at boat ramps and marinas to check catch against returns. It would be impossible for this sort of coverage to be extended along open coasts, so it may be necessary to impose a total ban on rock and beach fishing and on shore diving. Along with the permit system itself and the system for comparing catch with quota held, this will be extremely expensive, but the cost can be recovered by an appropriate charge for the permit. Once the initial period is over and the amateur fishers have been notified of their allocated quotas, there will be a period for appeals and objections to be heard by a Quota Appeals Authority. Simple arithmetical mistakes by MAF (yes, they got my commercial figures wrong) are easy to correct by producing the fishers' copies of returns. However, there will also be the concept of "notional catch history". A keen fisher, disabled over the criteria period, but later restored to health, can claim such a history on the basis of "I would have fished if I could." A Kiwi, returning from overseas to resettle here, buying an expensive launch to go out on the Hauraki Gulf, could argue that he intended all along to fish in the amateur fishery but was deprived of the opportunity by his absence during that period. These and many others, some with quite unlikely stories, would be allocated amateur quota in the same way as many objectors obtained commercial quota. At the same time, there will have been a boom in fishing effort, as amateur fishers seek to maximise their catch histories and hence their quotas. From this, combined with the unquestioning and generous issue of notional catch histories by the Quota Appeal Authority, the total amounts of amateur quota allocated (the TARCs) will, in many fisheries, far exceed both normal annual takes and safe catch levels, as indicated by science. The only