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MPI – FISHERIES NEWS MAN THREE TIMES LIMIT LOSES BOAT, TRAILER AND SCALLOPS A 51 year old Northland man caught by fisheries officers in Whangarei Harbour with more than three times the daily limit of scallops on the first day of the scallop season has had his boat and trailer seized and is likely to face prosecution in relation to serious offences against the Fisheries Act 1996. Fisheries officers measured the scallops and found that of the 139 scallops gathered, 134 of them were less than the legal minimum size of 100mm, leaving five scallops of legal size. The man was entitled to gather a total of 60 scallops, 20 for himself and 20 for each of his two safety people onboard. Since the start of the scallop season, which runs between September 1 to March 31 (both days inclusive), three people have been found breaching the regulations in Northland. Taking or possessing excess shellfish carries penalties of up to $20,000 and forfeiture of any property used in the commission of the offence. The daily bag limit for scallops in the Northland area is 20 per fisher. In addition, divers are entitled to take an amount equivalent to an extra daily bag for each of up to two safety people onboard a boat. NEW PLAN TO LOWER FISHING SECTOR INJURIES Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson and Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges hope to slash the amount of workplace injuries experienced by the fishing sector with a new Fishing Sector Action Plan which details measures including the implementation of a proposed new Maritime Operator Safety System and Qualifications and Operational Limits Framework rules. Commercial fishing has one of the highest combined fatality and injury rates for any sector in the country, with more than seven percent of the workforce reporting injuries every year and 33 deaths between 2001-2011. The plan was prepared by Maritime New Zealand in partnership with FishSAFE, with the support of the Accident Compensation Corporation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The plan introduces a host of initiatives to improve safety by: • Including proposed updates to the qualifications and operational limits framework • Updating Maritime Rules on vessels and equipment • Introducing a proposed new safety management system in MOSS • Getting better information on risks and injuries in the industry • Improving communication to people in the fishing industry This month's introduction of changes to Maritime Rule 40D pertaining to vessel and equipment design and construction is an important step towards implementing the plan. NEW CONVENTION TO MANAGE SOUTH PACIFIC FISHERIES Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Primary Industries Minister David Carter have announced a new convention to manage fisheries across the South Pacific. The convention is the culmination of six years of work and establishes the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation managing waters from Western Australia to South America, including the Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean. New Zealand co-sponsored the negotiations alongside Chile and Australia, was the first country to sign the convention, and was the fifth country to ratify it. The other nine states party to the 66 Professional Skipper November/December 2012 Maui dolphin MAUI DOLPHIN PLAN SUBMISSIONS The Ministry for Primary Industries and Department of Conservation are seeking public comment on a review of the Maui's Dolphin Threat Management Plan. The Government has ordered that a scheduled review of the TMP be brought forward from 2013 to this year to consider all known human-induced threats to the dolphins, how we can mitigate these threats, and what the research priorities are. DoC's Acting Deputy Director-General Science and Technical Group, Allan Ross, believes, "This is a great opportunity for the public to have a say on how we can work together to reduce impacts on the species." The public can make submissions on the TMP to the Ministry for Primary Industries or the Department of Conservation until November 12, 2012. For more information, or to make a submission visit: www. doc.govt.nz/mauisconsultation NORTHLAND WOMAN PROSECUTED A 51 year-old Awarua woman was caught by Northland fishery officers earlier this month illegally selling her recreational catch from a mobile food caravan. Northland fishery officers started investigating the woman in July after receiving a tip off from a member of the public. The woman was found to be illegally selling fish and chips from a mobile food caravan she was operating at a private address in Awarua, 20km south of Kaikohe. During a search of the woman's caravan, fishery officers located over 90 snapper fillets, some of which were prepared ready for sale. All of the snapper had been caught recreationally and the woman did not hold a permit to take fish for commercial use. The snapper were being sold for $4 per fillet. Ministry for Primary Industries Northland Compliance Manager, Darren Edwards says this type of offending shows an obvious disregard for fishery sustainability. convention are: Australia, Belize, Chile, the Cook Islands, Cuba, the European Union, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands), Korea and Russia, with other countries also expected to join. Carter says the new convention will manage all fish species in the South Pacific apart from highly migratory ones which are managed separately, and include orange roughy, blue nose and jack mackerel. Carter says, "The new organisation has a big job ahead. Now the convention is in force, the next job is agreeing legally binding controls to manage the fisheries, help ensure their long-term sustainability and address any adverse effects on the environment." New Zealand will host the first SPRFMO Commission meeting in Auckland in late January 2013. PHOTO : ERIN GREEN HOTO BY