| Mark
Feldman M.D.
Kerikeri
Northland
February 13, 2004
Subject: January 12, 2004 Position Paper on kahawai
Dear Minister Hodgson
This letter is to alert you to a serious lack of judgement in the
January 12, 2004 Position Paper on kahawai.
The Ministry of Fisheries has presented you with only one option
in their Position Paper. That option is to maintain the status quo.
This is despite the following facts:
- A 50% decline in biomass has occurred (probably much greater).
- Recreational fishermen require, on average, 5 hours of fishing
time to catch one kahawai! This poor catch has been verified by
a variety of methods.
- Several surveys of recreational fishermen have shown a dramatic
and continuing decline in the fishery. This is the best direct
information we have on the species.
- The value of the kahawai to the recreational and tourist sector
is over ten TIMES greater than to the commercial fishery. Again,
this figure probably is much higher.
- The situation in Kahawai 3 is so bad the purse seiners don’t
fish there anymore.
- Seabirds, specifically terns and muttonbirds, have suffered
population declines because they require the kahawai to help them
feed.
- The commercial by-catch of kahawai is enough to satisfy all
our domestic needs.
Despite including most of these facts in the Position Paper the
conclusion is that “currently there is no scarcity within
the fishery and therefore no clear-cut requirement to consider reallocating
the fishery between sector groups on the basis of utility value”.
Such a conclusion has nothing to do with the facts and, I can only
assume, is a result of strong commercial bias and insensitivity
to social issues. Taking this advice would place you in an awkward
position since you will have to deal with all the negative publicity
that will come your way in the press, on TV and in the courts. The
kahawai have always been the “people’s fish”.
The decision you will have to make when you set the TACC for kahawai
is probably the single most important fisheries decision that will
be required of you. It will directly affect about a million Kiwis
that eat kahawai caught by family members; many of them unable to
afford to buy fish. It will also be a pivotal decision for the tourist
industry; a proven source of foreign reserves. The status quo recommended
by the Ministry is clearly not the only option.
I appeal to you to do the following:
- Instruct the Ministry to increase the time for a public response
at least until the end of March so you can see for yourself how
people feel.
- Instruct the Ministry to provide you with additional options
that consider the very poor subsistence catch available to the
average Kiwi and the enormous value of the kahawai to the tourism
and recreational sectors. A by-catch only provision for the commercial
sector should be one of those options.
- Instruct the Ministry to give more consideration to the needs
of poorer New Zealanders whose only source of seafood is what
they can catch.
Sincerely,
Mark Feldman M.D
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