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Kahawai Submission
NZ
Marine Transport Association
23
April 2004
NZ Marine Transport Association
PO Box 9336
Wellington
23 April 2004
Mr D Tangney
Fishserve
PO Box 297
Wellington
Dear Doug
Thank you for your time this
morning to find out who should receive this letter regarding including
kahawai in the quota management system, and I would be grateful
if you would pass this letter to the correct people.
The Marine Transport Association
was formed in 1970 to represent the interests of restricted limits
shipping. We currently have about censored
financial members, which include most of the major operators and
many of the smaller ones. The membership list includes operators
such as Fullers Auckland, Subritzky Shipping, Fullers Bay of Islands,
Kawau Kats, Real Journeys, Tourism Holdings, Milford Red Boats,
Black Cat Cruises, Foveaux Express as well as many others spread
throughout New Zealand.
There are four key sectors
in the MTA – ferries, charter boats, barges, and aquaculture
vessels. Our members also include water taxis and bareboat charters.
The charter boat sector, which is by far the most numerous of our
membership, relies on fishing charters from members of the public
so the management of fish stocks is crucial for our members' business.
Our members operate about
290 vessels, with a passenger capacity of 14,249 and employ about
560 full-time seagoing staff. The book value of the fleet is about
censored with a replacement value of
censored. Turnover for the year ended
31 March 2002 was about censored .
We are aware that the NZ
Recreational Fishing Council has written a comprehensive submission
arguing that kahawai should be brought within the quota management
system with clear caps for commercial fisheries. That submission
also argues that the kahawai fishery is severely depleted and needs
action to rebuild it urgently, and that an effective research programme
to measure accurately the fish stock is required.
This letter is to support
the NZRFC's submission. The submission
was written in consultation with the Association and our members,
and the arguments expressed in it are in line with our members'
views.
I apologise for the delay
in getting this letter to you, but the deadline for submissions
passed while I was on leave.
Please feel free to contact
me if you would like to discuss this letter.
Yours sincerely
John Collyns
Executive Director
Key: censored = information
removed by MFish as this document has been released under the Official
Information Act.
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