WEST COAST REGIONAL RECREATIONAL FORUM
29 November 2007 at MFish Auckland 3.30pm to 8.00pm
Present:
Bernie Ward, Ricky Butt, Ross Webber, Trish Rea, Peter Sellers, Allan Jones, Stuart Cameron, Richard Fanselow, Ian Ferguson, Sarah Omundsen.
Apologies:
Alan Moore, Sheryl Hart, Keith Snow, Mark Franklin and Stuart Hogg.
DRAFT SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
1. WELCOME AND OPENING
New members were welcomed to the forum.
2. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
MFish gave an update on action points from the previous minutes. It was noted that new members had been recruited to the forum, regulatory round submissions had been accepted until 3 September and that Sheryl Hart had represented the forum at the national recreational forum hui.
MFish had not circulated information about the NW finfish fisheries plan as the first meeting of the plan’s Advisory Group would not be held until early next year so the information could be provided at this meeting instead. Information had been circulated on tuna and kingfish stocks and information on snapper 8 and trevally 7 would be presented at this meeting.
3. REPORT BACK ON NATIONAL RECREATIONAL HUI
MFish advised that the national recreational hui had been held on 21 November. It was a meeting of representatives of all seven recreational forums around New Zealand to discuss how the forums were working and also to discuss some national issues.
Sheryl Hart had represented the west coast forum at the hui. Unfortunately she was not able to attend today but had said the hui was excellent. It was agreed that this agenda item would be held over till the next meeting so Sheryl could report back then.
Actions:
• MFish to put item on national recreational hui on the agenda for the next meeting.
4. ROLE OF THE FORUM AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE FORUM
Members thought that the forum should in future be chaired by a member rather than by MFish. It was agreed that an item should be placed on the agenda for the next meeting to elect a new chairperson for the forum.
It was agreed that, from the next meeting, the first part of the meeting would be held without MFish presence so members could exchange information and develop common ground. It was also agreed that there would be an agenda item of member’s issues, within which forum members could bring issues they were interested in to the table.
It was also felt that the suggestions made by the forum need to be progressed through MFish so they can have some effect.
Actions:
• MFish to put items on election of forum chairperson, member’s issues and member’s discussion on the agenda for the next meeting.
Discussion of issues raised by members
Members discussed the deemed value system. They requested an explanation as to why a decision had not yet been made on the 2006 Deemed Value review.
Members discussed the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) to track the activities of all inshore trawl vessels on the west coast. Members considered that the system where fishers write down the positions of their trawls was not sufficiently reliable. Members also thought that video camera monitoring on all vessels to prevent dumping and high grading would be very valuable. The issue of whether camera and VMS information would breach the Privacy Act was discussed.
Members thought there needed to be a discussion of the Kaipara Harbour scallop closure and the Kaipara Harbour Strategy document.
Trish Rea advised the forum of the activities of a commercial fisher from Napier who had greatly reduced his bycatch and fuel bills by using an innovative net design involving square mesh panels.
Members considered that rising fuel prices meant that fishing effort for snapper 8 would not be spread evenly along the coast but would be bunched close to the larger ports. Members wondered if a ban of trawling within four nautical miles would help spread trawl effort along the coast. Members thought that a trawl ban within four nautical miles would not prevent the commercial sector from taking its full snapper quota. Members considered that trawling at 1 nautical mile meant trawling in shallow water, which could do considerable damage to the ecosystem. Members reported that trawlers off the Kaipara seemed to be further out at this time of year.
Members queried whether the decline in abundance of so many species on the west coast of the North Island could be due to decline in water quality. Members also noted that progress on water quality had been made in Manukau and Waikato Harbours but not yet in Kaipara.
A suggestion was made of enabling fishers who accidentally catch more fish than they are permitted to give the fish away to charity rather than waste the fish. Members thought this was an interesting idea but there was a risk that such a system could be abused by poachers.
Members wondered whether there was any potential for changing the primary fishing method for snapper 8 from trawling to longlinging.
Actions:
• MFish to provide response to the forum on the 2006 Deemed Value Review.
• MFish to provide the forum members with analysis of which month snapper 8 is caught in, snapper 8 deemed value payment analysis and data showing trawl locations for the snapper 8 fishery, comparison of previous years to the existing data for the 2007/08 fishing year.
• MFish to find out whether VMS and video cameras on boats would be in breach of the Privacy Act.
5. NORTH-WEST FINFISH FISHERIES PLAN
MFish updated the forum on the development of the North-West Finfish Plan. The first meeting of the advisory group would be held in February. Sheryl Hart and Trish Rea would both be on the advisory group.
MFish advised that it envisages the forum will have a support role to the members who will be on the advisory group. MFish and the members on the group can report back to the forum on discussions on the fish plan and then take forum views back to the planning group.
Members queried what priority any NW finfish plan recommendations would have over recommendations from other fish plans. MFish advised that eventually most management/research recommendations are likely to come from fisheries plans and that it was likely that the recommendations that are progressed would be spread across all fisheries.
6. MANAGEMENT OF SNAPPER 8 AND TREVALLY 7
MFish presented information on the current stock status, research and management of snapper 8 and trevally 7 stocks.
The majority of members advised that snapper was their first priority and the reason they came to these meetings, although some were also interested in trevally. They advised that there was real difficulty in catching any snapper or trevally of decent size on the west coast.
It was noted that snapper were larger in the southern part of SNA 8 which may indicate that the stocks are different. One member indicated that suggestions had previously been made of splitting SNA 8 into three stocks and queried what had happened to this suggestion.
Members considered that the data being used to make decisions on these important stocks was poor and the precautionary principle should be applied.
Actions:
• MFish to provide all available trevally 7 shed sampling data from the past 10 years and a list of trevally 7 quota holders.
7. CATCH LIMIT AND REGULATION CHANGES FOR NEXT YEAR
MFish advised that the processes for reviewing TAC limits (changes to take effect on 1 October 2008) and regulations (changes to take effect on 1 April 2009) will get underway in early 2008. Members were invited to consider which TAC limits and regulations they would like to see reviewed and to report on this for the next meeting. MFish advised that new scientific information would be available this year on tarakihi (TAR 1), rig (SPO 1 and 8), grey mullet (GMU 1) and school shark (SCH 1 and 2) stocks.
Members discussed potential for splitting the grey mullet quota management area.
Actions:
• Members to consider TAC limits and regulations that they would like to be reviewed next year and to report back at the next meeting.
8. MFISH UPDATES
MFish advised that:
• On shared fisheries, the Minister had decided to consult on reporting activity and catch of charter boat operators, improve recreational research, establish an amateur fishing trust and support a joint fishery sector working group to develop proposals on shared fisheries.
• On Maui’s dolphin, the Minister had decided to delay the decision until March so that he has time to properly consider all 2,500 submissions. One Maui’s had been found dead at Raglan but the autopsy result was not yet available.
• On regulation changes for 1 April 2008, no decision had yet been announced but an announcement was expected soon.
Some members felt that the NZRFC should not be the only recreational body on the joint fishery sector working group. Some members also thought that the Minister would be remiss if he considered that the NZRFC represented the view of the majority of amateur fishers.
Actions:
• MFish to confirm whether NZRFC are the only recreational representative organisation on the joint fishery sector working group.
• MFish to advise how the Minister of Fisheries’ decision regarding this group came about.
• MFish to provide Maui’s autopsy report to forum members when available.
9. RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP
MFish advised that originally members were appointed to recreational forums for a period of two years and that period has now elapsed. MFish was happy to extend the membership for an indefinite period.
10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
The forum agreed that it would be beneficial to have more members on the forum and to have back-up members who could attend if a member was unavailable for a particular meeting.
Trish Rea asked if there was any information on stingrays as there are reports of a real lack of stingrays at present, both in Manukau Harbour and on the coast. Ricky Butt reported that there were a lot of stingrays in Kaipara Harbour.
Trish Rea asked whether the recreational harvest survey would go ahead this year. Members agreed that a new survey was necessary and should go ahead. MFish advised that the Ministry intended a recreational harvest survey to go ahead and, as far as the inshore team is aware, there is funding available. However, there are some questions of methodology of the research which will need to be resolved before the survey is undertaken.
Actions:
• Members to recruit back-up members for the forum.
• MFish to check if there is any information available on stingray abundance and report back to the forum.
• MFish to confirm whether the recreational harvest survey will go ahead in 2008.