Meeting Notes: North Island-South East Regional Recreational Forum Saturday 3 March 2007

Open Meeting

Meeting chair, Paul Creswell (MFish) opened the meeting at 9.30 am and welcomed members. Paul welcomed Leigh Mitchell and Claire Norris to the forum

Attendees

Paul Creswell (Chair)

Claire Norris (MFish)

Leigh Mitchell (MFish) – first part of meeting only

Edward Beetham (Wairarapa Sports Fishing Club)

Wayne Bicknell ( Hawkes Bay Sports Fishing Club)

Alain Jorion (Gisborne/Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club)

Colin Murray ( Hawkes Bay Sports Fishing Club)

James Parahi (Pania Surfcasting Club)

George Zander (Ngawi Sport Fishing Club)

Apologies

Jenny Hills (Mahia Boating Club)

Hilton Webb (Gisborne/Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club)

Simon Mills (Gisborne/Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club)

Meeting Introduction

Paul Creswell confirmed the main focus of the meeting was: to prepare a submission on the Shared-Fisheries Public Discussion Document; the first package of draft fisheries standards: and a review of the how well the forum is working.

Catch up with Leigh

 

Hawkes Bay local
fisheries management initiative

Shared-Fisheries
Public Discussion Document

Leigh Mitchell informed the forum that she has been appointed as the Inshore Fisheries Manager of the newly established East Coast Inshore Team. This team is based at the local MFish district office in Napier and is responsible for inshore fisheries within QMA 2. She is currently in the process of recruiting four fisheries analysts to her team.

Leigh highlighted she is very keen for her team to work closely with local fisheries stakeholders. As such, she would like to bring her team along to the next forum meeting to meet with members, and to provide an opportunity for members to impart what they know about their local fisheries to her new staff.

Leigh also noted she will be in touch with each member over the next few weeks to arrange some time with each member to tour and chat about their local fisheries issues.

Members can contact Leigh at 06 831 0264 or 021 586 641. Leigh can also be contacted by e-mail at leigh.mitchell@fish.govt.nz.

Forum members expressed support for a regional fisheries management team to manage local issues.

Colin Murrary and Wayne Bicknell informed the forum that local commercial, customary and recreational representatives have recently formed a group to look at local management options for the Hawkes Bay area to secure sustainable fisheries for everyone. Wayne stated that most local commercial fishers support this group. Both Colin and Wayne are keen for MFish to be involved with the group to provide guidance.

Alain Jorion said he was concerned about Option4’s views on the Shared‑Fisheries Public Discussion Document. He stated he was disappointed with recent negative comments made by Option4 about the Shared‑Fisheries project. Rather, he stated the New Zealand Recreational Fishing Council saw lots of positives in the discussion document where amateur's concerns are being addressed or put foreword in a refreshing and positive way.

Several members believed there was much empathy by the general public to the Shared-Fisheries Public Discussion Document.

Leigh left the meeting.

Corresp.

Incoming Correspondence:

Outgoing Correspondence:

Shared-Fisheries
joint submission

Paul Creswell reminded members that they had previously agreed to use today’s meeting to prepare a submission on the Shared-Fisheries Public Discussion Document. He noted that he, together with Claire Norris, would assist the forum to work through the document and to record the forum’s views on the various proposals.

Paul highlighted the submission would only represent the views of members present. He also encouraged members to provide a submission on behalf of their representative recreational fishing club or organisation.

Forum members worked through the shared-fisheries document and expressed their views on the various proposals.

Action: 1) Paul and Claire to draft the submission on behalf of the forum and submit to MFish.

A copy of the submission was e-mailed to each member present and is attached to these minutes.

1 st Package
of Fisheries Standards

Claire Norris reminded members that MFish has released a consultation document on the following three draft Fisheries Standards.

Claire provided a presentation on the draft Harvest Strategy and Consultation standards.

Members expressed concerns that despite MFish operating under draft Harvest Strategy standards, it would still continue to act too slowly to stop fisheries from declining. Several members believed that MFish should have processes that enable TACCs to be adjusted quickly in response to changes in stock size.

Review of the NI-SE Forum

Paul Creswell noted the forum has been established since October 2005 and that it was timely to review how well it is working.

Paul ran through the forum’s objectives, and member’s roles and membership vision (as agreed by the forum at the first meeting). He asked members for feedback on whether these are being achieved (noting that several members were absent from the meeting), as well as what was being done well and what could be improved.

In general, members expressed very positive feedback on the forum. Several members stated they were very happy with how the forum is being run and how it is progressing. Members also believed the forum provided a good mechanism to develop a better relationship between MFish and the local recreational fishing sector, and for local representatives to discuss national and local fisheries issues. Members also believed the forum would provide an ideal foundation to improve regional recreational representation at a national level.

Members also noted the following points:

Paul provided a form to members to provide feedback on the forum after the meeting if they wished.

Action: 2) Paul will summarise the results of any post-meeting feedback at the next meeting.

Regional updates

Members provided written updates on recreational fishing in their local areas.

General business

Danish Seining in Hawkes Bay

Wayne Bicknell requested information at the next forum meeting on the history of Danish seining in Hawkes Bay. He understood Danish seining had been banned in local waters and was surprised to learn that a commercial fisher has recently start to use this method. He would like information on when Danish seining was reinstated in Hawkes Bay and what public consultation took place.

Action: 3) Paul to provide information on Danish seining at the next meeting.

Red Gurnard Minimum Legal Size Limit

James Parahi asked whether it was too late to change the proposed national minimum legal size (MLS) limit for red gurnard to 37 cm as this would correspond with a 500 g fish. James noted that his club imposes their own voluntary size limit for gurnard based on a 500 g minimum weight.

Paul Creswell stated that any change would require a new proposal for consultation with stakeholders, but this was unlikely given the new 25 cm MLS was about to come into force.

CRA 4 ACE shelving

Edward Beetham informed members that CRA 4 quota holders will collectively shelve 44% of the their ACE over the next two fishing years. He asked the forum whether they should commend the CRA 4 industry for taking this step.

Forum generally thought the shelving of ACE by industry was a positive action. However, Alain Jorion thought that any reduction in ACE should be done by MFish, and in effect, industry are only reducing their ACE to current catch levels.  

Edward moved the following motion:

“That the NI-SE Regional Recreational Forum commend commercial fishers within the CRA 4 fishery for their efforts in reducing their catches.”

Seconded: George Zander,

Motion passed (five voted for, one against)

Rock lobster telson clipping

Alain Jorion provided the forum with an update on NZRFC’s proposal to introduce telson clipping of rock lobster within the non-commercial sectors.

Alain noted that they did not favour clipping the side fins (as previously suggested by the forum) as overseas experience suggests this could lead to fin rot. He noted there were problems in gaining support from local customary fishing representatives for the proposal.

Edward Beethan said that some Wairarapa fishers are already telson clipping rock lobsters.

Local District Compliance Manager

George Zander stated there are a number of compliance issues within the Wairarapa region and would like information on what MFish is doing to address these issues.

The forum agreed to invite the local District Compliance Manager to the next meeting.

Action: 4) Paul to invite the local District Compliance Manager to the next meeting.

Next meeting

The following agenda items are to be carried to the next forum meeting:

Closing

Meeting closed at 3pm.