SEA LIONS SAYS FOREST AND BIRD PRIMARY INDUSTRIES MINISTER David Carter announced at the beginning of August that the maximum number of accidental fishing related sea lion deaths for the 2012-13 fishing season allowed would remain at 68, and that this limit would remain in effect until a review in four years unless information shows fishing is causing a decline in the sea lion population.
Forest and Bird marine conservation advocate Katrina Subedar, said, "We are extremely disappointed." She said that that the latest internationally peer reviewed research showed that if current levels of by-catch continue, the Auckland Island New Zealand sea lion population will be functionally extinct by 2035 following a 40 percent fall in numbers since 1998, and that New
Amaltal Columbia fire
AMALTAL COLUMBIA FLAGSHIP of Talley's fleet was towed into Lyttelton by its sister ship, Amaltal Atlantis a day after a serious fire on September 12.
The Nelson based 64 metre factory trawler
put out a mayday call at 5.30am after a fire started in its meal hold about 85km off Lyttelton Heads and the vessel lost all power and steering. The ship was "a fireball from the bow to the stern" but the main thing was everyone was safe, said Talley's Group managing director Peter Talley.
Hotspots could be seen along the ship's hull from the air as an RNZAF Orion was sent to monitor the situation. Two other vessels, the San Discovery and a Russian trawler, the Ivan Golubets, responded to the mayday as 43 crew abandoned ship. The fire started in the fishmeal hold. The crew fought it for three or four hours and got to the seat of the fire, fighting it until their breathing gear was exhausted. Peter Talley said "It was so bad at one stage the skipper had to abandon the wheelhouse because of the thick black smoke." The crew had to cut the fishing gear and leave it behind so they could
get under way. The Columbia was being captained by Chris Patrick, from Nelson, "our top skipper", Talley said. Four crew members, including the captain, remained on board the ship to ascertain damage and also see if the catch could be saved, as others were evacuated. The 20 year old Amaltal Columbia and sister ship Amaltal Atlantis are two of the biggest deepsea trawlers in the Talley's fleet and had just had a highly successful season in the West Coast hoki fishery. Talley's is recognised across the fishing industry for the high standard of maintenance on its vessels. Crew members undergo training in ship fire fighting to get their ticket, and Peter Talley said "I can assure you they take it extremely seriously. You can't jump out a window and walk away there." TAIC investigators have completed their scene investigation and released the Almaltal Columbia back to its owners.
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SQUID FISHERY DECISION WON'T SAVE
Zealand sea lions have a "nationally critical" threat classification, the same as the kakapo.
"The ministry is allowing the number of trawls in the fishery to be effectively doubled to 4700 per season, making it more likely that sea lions will be caught in the fishing nets." Subedar said there is no evidence that injured or dead sea lions are being retained in the nets so increasing the number of observers on fishing vessels, as the new rules requires, may therefore not give an accurate assessment of how many sea lions are being killed. Forest and Bird believes the squid fishing industry could continue to prosper without threatening one of our most endangered species, by switching to more sustainable fishing methods such as jigging.
PHOTO COURTESY TIM CUFF
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