West Coast Regional Recreational Forum – Meeting 4 (Draft)

27 July 2006

NOTE: This Meeting Summary is yet to be confirmed.

Attendees

Members: Allan Moore; John Forrest; Stewart Hogg; Allan Jones; Keith Snow; Stuart Cameron; Sheryl Hart; Visitor: Ron Hepworth
MFish staff: Richard Fanselow; Sharon Dawbin; Arthur Hore; Sarah Omundsen
Apologies: Trish Rea

Agenda Item 1: Confirm previous Meeting Summary

No amendments received, meeting summary from 11.05.06 confirmed.

Agenda Item 2: MFish Update

Recreational Regulation Review Sarah Omundsen (MFish) provided an overview of the recreational regulation review, background to the review and the proposals that have been released for consultation.

• Members sought clarification as to whether the document was for consultation – it was confirmed that yes it is out for public consultation.
• Members expressed opinions that the consultation for the Recreational Regulation Review should first and foremost be with recreational fishers only.
• Members wanted to know how MFish came up with the list of recreational regulations to review. MFish explained that the list was based on issues that recreational fishers had been concerned about and from information passed on in the recreational forums. All issues were prioritised by the recreational fishing council, on behalf of recreational fishers.
  

‘Taking’ the daily bag limit

Issues:

• Undersize fish – do they count towards the daily bag limit? No, but the regulations are not clear. 
• Releasing fish bigger than the minimum legal size – do they count towards the daily bag limit? Yes, all fish released because they are not wanted do count.
• Tagging & releasing fish for research – currently, because there are no specific provisions for tagging and releasing, relevant bag limits apply.

The members discussed various options to deal with the above issues.
Issues raised around the options were:

• Don’t often/ever see fishery officers on the water, so how will they know if fish have been returned and should count as part of the daily bag limit.
• The option of bringing in special permits is impractical.
• What would the costs be of a special permit and where would the funds come from if special permits were required? It is currently unknown what the costs would be, but the funds would be likely to come from recreational fishers themselves.
• Education and guidelines showing what fish are the best to keep and best to put back would be beneficial.
• Some fishing clubs are voluntarily returning smaller fish to the water, why stop it?

Red Gurnard, trumpeter & blue cod minimum legal size

Red Gurnard options - to apply a recreational minimum legal size of 25cm for red gurnard; or maintain the status quo.

• Members noted that gurnard is one of the few reliable sources of catch available on the West coast.
• Forum members would like to see the commercial size limit also addressed. If changing the recreational size limit, then a commercial size limit should also apply.
• Considerable concern over where the information about small gurnard is coming from. Why are people catching 10 cm gurnard? It was noted by some members that information is not available about small gurnard.
• MFish noted that the boat ramp survey indicates most people catching and landing 28+ cm gurnard.

Trumpeter options – to apply a recreational MLS of 45cm; or maintain the status quo.

• Rare catch in this area, more interest in this fishery in the South Island

Blue Cod options – decrease the recreational MLS from 33cm to 30cm in the North Island; or maintain the status quo.

• Some catches of blue cod around Mokau, but very rare

Recreational Scallop Season

Issues:

• Scallops at start of season are small and in poor condition in some areas
• They also tend to be in good condition as late as Easter each year.

Options:

• Shift the season from 15 July – 14 February to 1 September – 31 March or; maintain the existing closed season.
• Members noted that scallops are very seasonal. A number of factors affect the state of the scallops each year and members are not sure that a change to the scallop season would be beneficial.
  

Safety Person Regulation

Issue:

• The safety person regulation change from last years review has had an unforeseen consequence, where even slightly exceeding the daily bag limit is classified as a serious non-commercial offence.

Option:

• Ensure that when divers take less than three times their individual entitlement, it is not considered to be a serious non-commercial offense.

Consultation on the recreational regulation proposals closes on 8 September.

Agenda Item 3: Members Regional Updates

Members provided updates and raised issues of concern.

• Trevally

- Forum members are concerned about trevally on the west coast and have frequently referred to what they regard as its depleted state over the last 12 months.
- What is happening with trevally? Some members noted that they haven’t been able to catch trevally for the last 5 years.
- The research planning and stock assessment processes take too long. Members would like to see the issue (trevally) dealt with now, and not when it’s too late.
Richard to provide background documents for recent trevally stock assessment.

• It is difficult to catch grey mullet in the Manukau harbour
• Difficult to catch eels
• Kingfish

- in Manukau last season could easily catch 16-20 kingfish, this season only catching 3-4
- 1000 kingfish were released alive into Raglan harbour, initial concerns with the vast change in water temperature, so fish were placed in cage to acclimatise them. Strong current that fish struggled in caused a few mortalities, lost approx 200 fish. Overall very pleased with the survival rate.

• Gurnard

- approx 3% have got bumps/lumps all over them and right through into the flesh. Is it some sort of disease?
- Answer – no it is a seasonal phenomenon that occurs each year around this time – perhaps associated with sea temperatures beginning to rise. The fish look terrible and not appetising to eat, but this is a natural event, not a disease.

• Update on the RFC AGM

- Shared fisheries discussion – RFC agreed shared fisheries is the way of the future and are waiting for the release of the paper for consultation.
- Recreational Regulation Review – RFC noted it was pleased to see that recreational fishers have been listened to and that issues from recreational fishers and the recreational forums have been included in this years review.

• Crayfish

- What information is available on crayfish, where do they come from, planktonic phases, how long does it take for crayfish to settle from larvae stage and establish/grow?
Action: MFish to locate information and pass on to forum.

Agenda Item 4: MFish Updates

Action Items from Meeting 3 - Information was presented on:
- Unpaid deemed values
- SNA 8
- KIN 8 – this time last year 35T of kingfish was caught, to date this year only 21T of kingfish has been caught. TACC = 36T
- Representation – draft letter from MFish inviting iwi representation on the Forum was passed on to members to discuss further and make changes as appropriate prior to sending to iwi forums.
Action: Forum to review letter, suggest changes and discuss
- Mataitai Reserves
- A copy of regulations for the Marakopa mätaitai was requested.
Action: Richard to send copy of mätaitai and taiapure information to forum members who are interested in the Marakopa application 

Agenda Item 5: October 06 Sustainability & Regulation Review Sustainability Papers

– submissions close 31 July 2006
Regulatory Papers – submissions close 25 August 2006
This year’s papers are not of particular interest to recreational fishers in the northern region.
Fish Plans - MFish groups are currently aligning themselves to work together internally on fish plans
- 3 proof of concept plans completed to draft stage, these are being used as a learning tool to go forward
- MFish to identify groupings of fisheries to apply plans to
- There will be no single sector plans for inshore fisheries – all multi-sector
- Further discussions and planning to take place internally
- There is increased Government funding to enable MFish to take on new staff for fish plan work.
Issues:
- If non-commercial stakeholders are to contribute to fish plans then more funding is required than just petrol and food – they are not funded whereas commercial participants are
- Resourcing participation is an issue. MFish does not have the answers yet – how recreational fishers might participate in management is one of the issues that the Shared Fisheries project will cover.
- Members suggested deemed values paid by commercial fishers could provide funds for non-commercial participation.
Shared Fisheries Policy - MFish provided a brief update – shared fisheries policy is due to be released for consultation in mid-August
- Consultation period will be four months
- A discussion followed as to how MFish might carry out consultation with stakeholders
- Recreational consultation to include meetings with Forums, open days/public meetings, MFish website and possibly boat shows
- The East Coast forum is keen have a combined meeting with the West and Northern North Island recreational forums
- Forum members are keen to see consultation for this policy carried out properly. When submitting on the proposal it was agreed that the good points also need to be highlighted, not just the bad points
- Members agreed that sharing a meeting with the other northern forums would be beneficial
- Shared fish project meetings with forums may occur early September
- members agreed that a day time workshop is more workable than an evening meeting on this topic

MFish website

MFish has a new website – same link www.fish.govt.nz.
The site provides access to copies of all documents MFish has released for consultation purposes, as well also links to other websites including:

• The Status of New Zealand's Fisheries: created to inform the public about the sustainability of New Zealand's fisheries;
• Nabis: provides spatial & visual representations of our marine biological & fisheries management data;

- Members suggested that being able to make a submission straight from the website would be useful
- If people have broadband is there still the option of being able to download the whole document?

Agenda Item 6: Review of Forum effectiveness and value

MFish explained that the forum has been going for nearly 12 months and it might be useful to review the effectiveness and value of the forum at the next meeting.
- Members don’t mind coming along to forums and giving their time, but what are we achieving out of them? Are we going forward?

Agenda Item 7: General Business

Aotea Marine Reserve
- The East Coast (BOP/Hauraki) forum made a submission on the Aotea marine reserve and West Coast members discussed if they would make a similar submission.
- Members are happy to support the East Coast and submit a similar submission
- Note: that they should also make a submission on the marine reserve around Taranaki as it is on the West coast and relates more to this forum
- Members agreed to make a submission on both the Aotea and Taranaki marine reserves
Action: Stuart Cameron to draft submission and pass on to members for review

Administration

• Travel expenses
• Next meeting – early September to discuss Shared Fisheries Project; all Northern forums to meet together
• Dates and times to be advised

Handouts available

1. Recreational Regulations Reviews (11 July 2006) - Initial Position Papers
2. Bulletin (July 2006)
3. Meeting summary (May 2006)
4. Unpaid deemed values information
5. SNA 8 catches by statistical area over last two fishing years
6. Claim forms

Actions

Trevally: Provide forum members with background documents to recent trevally stock assessment.
Crayfish: What information is available on crayfish, where do they come from, planktonic phases, how long does it take for crayfish to settle from larvae stage and to establish/grow?
Mataitai Reserves: Send members a copy of mätaitai and taiapure information.
Aotea Marine Reserve & Taranaki Marine Reserve: Stuart to draft letter of submission for both marine reserves and send to forum members for review.
Representation: Members to review draft letter and then pass it around all members prior to sending it out to iwi forums.
SNA 8: Who is overcatching? Provide information on how much deeming is done by all SNA 8 quota holders south of Cape Egmont. What months does it relate to?
Website: Stuart still keen to have a discussion forum on fishing.net.nz. Arthur to follow up again, however new developments on MFish website coming up. Will update members on the new website, once more information is obtained.