Yesterday’s article on the decline of tuna and other large fish stocks in the Pacific are a reminder to us all to think long and hard about our own backyard.
We have seriously depleted our inshore fisheries, limiting a source of both food and sport for a large proportion of us Kiwis.
A classic example is the kahawai, which 30 years ago was abundant in local waters but alas now difficult to find in reasonable numbers or size.
Under our noses, poor management of commercial take – in the case of kahawai sold cheaply for pet food and crayfish bait - has resulted in serious losses to many fish populations.
Unless our government takes urgent action a very significant part of our Kiwi culture - the right and ability to catch a fish for dinner remains threatened.
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