West Coast Regional Recreational Forum – Meeting 3
11 May 2006
Time: 3.00pm Recreational members met without MFish
Forum: 4.45pm – 8.45pm
Venue: Ministry of Fisheries office, 608 Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland
Present:
MFish - Jodi Mantle (Senior Fisheries Management Advisor) – Chair; Lindie Nelson Senior Policy Analyst – Nelson; Phil Kirk Senior Policy Analyst – Nelson; Richard Fanselow (Fisheries Analyst); Sharon Dawbin (Fisheries Analyst)
Recreational - Stewart Hogg; Sheryl Hart; Allan Jones; Bernie Ward; Stuart Cameron; Trish Rea; Visitor - Geoff Rowling (Motueka)
Apologies:
Keith Snow; Allan Moore; John Forrest
Shared Fisheries Policy
Forum members met prior to the forum meeting to discuss the shared fisheries policy without any MFish staff present.
Forum meeting began with group asking questions and providing feedback to Lindie Nelson and Phil Kirk on the shared fisheries policy.
Common themes:
- Fisheries Act already has the tools to use, but need to build on the framework
- Where is the intent to provide for the non-commercial sector?
- Certainty – who gets the benefit if stock re-built?
- Recreational fishers feel there is an imbalance in the decisions affecting the recreational and commercial sectors
- Give people the incentive and opportunity
- TACs should be set at a conservative level rather than a guess
- Need clarification of buying and leasing quota
- Recreational fishers need science and guidelines on releasing catch and minimum size limits
- The shared fisheries policy as it appears to recreational fishers is a cap on the recreational take
- How will the Shared Fisheries Policy project deal with 28N rights?
Confirm minutes of previous meeting
Feedback was given on minutes from last meeting. Changes are to be made to the minutes and re-circulated.
Members would like information on other forums and what they are up to and would like the minutes from this forum sent to other forums. MFish noted that it will be easier to view other forums minutes once the new MFish website is up and running.
MFish update
Compliance Update
Matt Cowan was unable to attend the meeting. MFish will arrange to have presentation at next forum meeting.
Recreational Regulation Review – rules for review in 2006
Three issues that have been identified for review in 2006
- Define “take”
- Review the minimum legal size for gurnard, blue cod, trumpeter
- Review the scallop season
It was noted that at the next forum meeting MFish would try to have the recreational regulation review Project Manager attend to discuss the review.
Forum members were interested in define ‘take’ – everyone has a different view, most recreational fishers define take as dead and in the chilly bin. Group were keen to see minutes about prioritising the recreational regulations – MFish photocopied and handed out.
Recreational fishers have invested interest in the outcome of the recreational regulation review. When the IPP is sent out for consultation, it is noted that recreational fishers would be hoping to make supporting submissions, rather than multiple submissions regarding possible changes to the paper.
There was not total support for a change to the scallop season, but if there was a change to the season there was a debate over the timeframe.
Sustainability Round
An official letter about the sustainability round is due to go out to stakeholders. Approximately sixteen items are up for review in 2006.
Iwi forums
Discussion held on iwi forums covered by the northern inshore team and map of areas handed out.
MFish described the current structure of iwi forums in the northern region and the objectives of these forums. Members touched on the Hokianga Accord forum and the difficulties for the Ministry it provides if set up under the initial customary forum bid. If a customary forum then the Ministry must provide for input and participation of hapu/iwi in the area and these forums include groups the Ministry has direct Treaty Settlement obligations with. This includes other hapu groups such as Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau. The Ministry is working with local iwi representatives and the chairman of the Hokianga Accord to see if this can be progressed.
It was raised whether/if this forum is going to have customary representation. Members would like to see representatives from iwi forums attend to discuss their perspective on recreational fishing. Members don’t see the point in having different forums, makes more sense to have one forum, as issues within recreational fishing are the same.
It was pointed out that the customary forums have obligations under the Deed of Settlement, they do discuss recreational fishing but a lot of it is customary.
It was requested that as members would like customary recreational fishers input at this forum a letter should be sent to, the Hauraki Gulf forum, Nga Hapu o Te Uru forum and the Hokianga Accord forum, asking for representation.
An invite to the WCNI forum members was passed on behalf of Trish Rea to attend the Hokianga Accord forum in Dargaville on the 20-21 July. The venue has been confirmed as the Naumai marae, Ruawai.
Coromandel Scallops/Fish Plans
Any queries on fish plans then email forum coordinator.
Maui’s Dolphin
A group of experts has been formed to form an analysis and prepare a threat management plan for Maui’s dolphins. The next step is to set up regional groups.
Members agreed that if another regional group is set up there is a concern that it will be a stretch on the people already involved in other groups ie recreational regional forums – meeting resources with be stretched.
Members noted they were upset about the ad on tv featuring Maui’s dolphins and set netting.
Other Issues
No other issues were raised by members
Workshop/Discussion on Consultation
Who else should MFish be targeting?
- General public
Presentation
- Electronic copies are useful but they are huge documents and need to be reduced. It is the images and tables in the documents that need to be reduced. A simple task to reduce them to gifs or whatever is appropriate, the documents themselves are what are required. The large documents are hard to access and take up too much room.
- hard copy (paper) good to have – members need to request if require this version
Content
- Terminology – keep it simple
- More use of charts, wheels etc, better understanding if visual diagrams etc than if words
- IPPs lack historic information, people do not get the full picture
- Put links in documents ie to working group documents
Timeframe
- not December or January, definitely not the Christmas holidays
- would like information 12-24 months prior to note what is coming up for review etc
- make sure up-to-date science information comes before the IPP
How many times a year?
- depends on the species
- last year there were 5 species of interest for this group
- if significant interest in a number of fisheries then would prefer it is spread throughout the year
- one is not enough, three too many, two is good
- keen to have a one pager to summarise the IPP
- make the IPP available through other internet services
Next Meeting
Proposed Date: Thursday 27th July
Time: 3 pm
Location: MFish Auckland office
Actions
Minutes: Make changes to Meeting 2 minutes and re-circulate.
Deemed Values: What is the TACC in SNA8? MFish to provide a schedule of deemed values on one of the fisheries eg SNA 8 over 5 year period including how many remain unpaid.
Trevally: At the last 2 meetings there was concern about trevally. Members need to know what MFish is going to do about it – follow up with Todd Sylvester.
Scallop seasons: Email members about national scallop seasons.
Forums: Would like information on other forums and what they are up to. Send minutes from this forum to other forums.
Representation: Forum members have requested that a letter be sent to the Hauraki Gulf forum, Nga Hapu o Te Uru forum and the Hokianga Accord forum asking for representation Jodi to write and pass on to members to sign and send.
Maui’s Dolphins: Reply to John Forrest’s email re Maui’s dolphins via email and send to other members as well.
SNA8: Level of catches in SNA8 by stat areas. How much snapper landed when targeting other species (by tonne) ie how much snapper caught when targeting Rig etc for all of SNA8 in 04/05 fishing year.
KIN8: Provide an update on Kingfish 8.
Internet Services: MFish to follow up with Stuart Cameron about contacting fishing.net.nz