Hauraki Gulf/ Bay of Plenty  Recreational Fishing Forum - Second Meeting Summary, 21 February 2006

Members' Regional Updates

Richard Baker NZGBF

• Marlin satellite tagging (striped marlin) occurring;

 Coromandel Scallop Fishery decision

• The proposal to increase the SCA bag limit from 20-30 per person per day did not happen, a poor administrative decision;
• Shared pain, shared gain - disappointed that recreational fishers have not been able to benefit from this gain in the Coromandel scallop fishery;
• Commercial received an increase because they have research to support this decision. But there is not enough recreational research to support a bag limit increase for the recreational sector and nor has there been any proposal forward to research such an increase this year. This is one of the many examples where the government favours the commercial industry and once again the recreational fishers have been undermined.
• (Feedback)- Disagreed – commercial fishing closures, banning/restriction of commercial fishing methods, etc within the Exclusive Economic Zone have made it easier for non-commercial fishers to be able to harvest their bag limit. Therefore when these bans/restrictions or commercial exclusion areas were implemented recreational fishers received a gain.

George Johnston

• Encouraged and happy to report that the Whakatane boat club has taken on board his project to educate the community about recreational fishing;
• (Feedback)- Hatred of name “recreational” implies that we play with our food (frivolous) prefer non-commercial.
• Tabled a document titled: “(A first draft of the) Public Marine Fishing Law Reform Act” ² recognition of our right² shifts into a positive mode² Right – magna carta² Article 3 of TOW.

Anthony Olsen

• Iwi meeting BOP coming up on the 6 March 06;
• Process within BOP Iwi forum works well maybe because of legislative and statutory obligations within the Treaty and Fisheries Act;
• His role is to provide transparency from iwi to recreational and vice-versa.- Interested in finding out issues around DoC estate e.g. Whale Island and MPA’s strategy;
• Election of person e.g. Keith Ingram support number of emails that have been passed around, really great to see.
• (Feedback)- Support cross pollination into forums welcome members/open invitation to members of either forum in either forum e.g. Hokianga Accord where Ngä Puhi endorses this relationship;
• Acknowledges the work that Sonny Tau has been doing, however, Sonny Tau does not represent all northern tribes e.g. Ngati Hine etc…to be mindful about the dynamics within Maoridom in the North.
• George endorses that 21 hapu need to be spoken with before changes can be made in the Whakatane/BOP region.

Hauraki/BOP Recreational Forum Objectives(Updated Feb 06)

• To enhance the ability of recreational non-commercial fishers to participate in fisheries management decision-making; and to improve the non-commercialrecreational fishery and its management;
• To identify regional fisheries management issues;
• To promote joint fisheries management initiatives between the non-commercial recreational sector and the Ministry of Fisheries;
• To encourage capacity building in the non-commercial recreational sector to enable the sector to take a greater role in the management of their fisheries;
• To build positive relationships that encourages the constructive exchange of information; including building positive relationships and collaborating with Iwi forums and all other stakeholders to ensure sustainability.- To develop and improve consultation processes (upward and downward) that meet the needs of non-commercial recreational fishers and MFish. 

Discussion:

• Replace recreational with non-commercial;
• Possibility of sharing objectives with other recreational forums to encourage national/ regional consistency leading to strength in unity;
• Regional issues differ within each forum therefore other forums may not be able to adapt the same objectives but it is a good idea to share with other forums the objectives of BOP/Hauraki Recreational Forum in the interest of consistency;
• Regional issues may drive people in different ways may be going to same goal but different approaches.

Actions

1. Agree and confirm objectives (Hauraki/BOP Forum members and MFish).
2. Consider sharing these objectives with other regional recreational forums

Compliance Update

Brendon Mikkelsen, Tauranga District Compliance Manager provided presentations about:
1. Protector Vessel Program
2. Regulation 27A 

Regional Update MFish (also refer Feb 06 – Update)

Recreational regulation review

New regulation allowing UBA to take mussels concerns the Maketu taiapure. Because the UBA prohibition protected the deeper stocks from divers, now divers will be able to access these areas. MFish (feedback)- MFish recognised that there are concerns for the sustainability of mussel beds in some areas. When the Minister made his decision he considered the mussels on a national scale. He understood that there may be concerns for mussels on a much localised scale and local sustainability problems for mussels can be managed in more appropriate ways than generalised method restrictions. For example, temporary closures that protect specific species in specified areas.

Recreational fishers must fish within their daily bag limit and this will still apply (now that the) UBA prohibition is removed. Also, MFish does not consider that lifting the prohibition will encourage poaching. Because:- mussels are extremely cheap, - easy to access from supermarkets, and - are generally larger and in better condition than those from wild populations. - As a result, a poor economic return and the risks of being caught make poaching unlikely for wild mussel populations.

New changes to the rules to take crayfish have been reviewed. Consequently, the minister has decided that lassoes are still illegal but fishing shops continues to sell lassoes;

Scallop divers are now allowed to take a daily bag limit for safety persons (maximum of two) does this have any implications on other species e.g. oysters. MFish (feedback)- This decision only applies to scallops also codes of practice will be developed where you will have the opportunity to work through any associated concerns e.g. measuring scallops at the first opportunity.

Proposed Recreational Regulations for Review

MFish are looking to continue to review further rules and regulations of importance to recreational fishers over the next few years. The NZRFC Executive Council have identified a further four issues of concern, these are:

• Define take (in relation to tag and release or under sized fish);
• Disabled permits regulation and review; 
• Regional – difference in size limits, and bag limits; and- Legal size paua west coast North Island.

Further clarification was sought to determine what these proposals were looking to address. Strong concern was voiced regarding the definition of take relating to tag and release. For example, if you tagged and released a fish would this be part of your daily bag limit.

Action 1. MFish requires feedback on the issues that recreational fishers would like reviewed. It is expected that a final list of issues will be provided to MFish by mid-March 2006. You can contact your regional NZRFC representative or Executive Council member directly at (http://www.fishing.net.nz/organisations/rfc/members.cfm) or contact your Recreational/Non-Commercial Fishing Forum co-ordinator to receive more information or to help co-ordinate the input of your Forum.

Action 2. Marine protected areas (feedback) Handout on MPA PolicyClassification System and Protection Standards established by end of June 06 Followed by consultation with stakeholders.Update provided regarding the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Project. HGMPP 4 year information plan – proposed. Recreational input will be required in 1-2 years. Next step for HGMPP is to 1) Gather information 2) Iwi engagement 3) Stakeholder Communication.

Summary actions from MFish regional update: 

Send full copy of MPA policy and implementation plan to those who requested it.

Shared fisheries project

Robin Connor from the policy team led discussion based around the document ‘Notes for Recreational Fishing Forum MeetingsJanuary-February 2006 – Shared Fisheries Policy Initiative.’ http://www.fish.govt.nz/shared-fisheries/index.html
Key issues and challenges discussed include:

1. Criteria and processes for setting the total allowable catch – i.e. management objectives in relation to where the overall catch limit is set (given that the overall catch limit contributes to availability and size of fish for recreational fishers).
2. Increased certainty in allocation of the total allowable catch (setting and adjusting customary, recreational and commercial shares) while maintaining flexibility for responding to changing demands (e.g. population). Discussion included bulk of legislation is directed towards QMS or commercial management of fisheries not a lot geared towards non-commercial fishing.- Non-commercial fishers should be considered first and the remaining be given to commercial- 50/50 sounds good- Insufficient or lack of information.
3. Effective management measures to ensure there are appropriate incentives for commercial and recreational take to be maintained within their share.- Discussion included problems they felt the current system has for keeping commercial catches within the limits. Recreational fishers get fines for one undersize in yet commercial fishers can land fish without first obtaining quota. The deterrents such as deemed values need reviewing.- What reasonable timeframes are there for rebuilds of fishery/fisheries?

 Actions:

1. Members to consider inviting Robin Connor back to the next meeting as the time spent with Robin may not have provided enough time for debate.
2. Provide Sounding paper to those who requested.

Next meeting

Options were discussed about how to approach the next meeting -Have a full-day meeting– part of that time to be spent in ‘internal’ discussions amongst forum members, and part with Ministry presence (including Robin Connor). The intention of the second part of the meeting would be both to discuss the outcomes of the morning session, and also to have some of the same functions as one of the normal forum meetings (e.g. a brief update on what else the Ministry is doing). Other topics that were not able to be discussed because of time constraints included: 

• Recreational education strategies
• Developing effective processes to allow recreational fishers to be involved in fisheries management decision making.