Kingfish 8

Kingfish 8 (KIN8) - option4 Submission

West Coast North Island

August 2005

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Kingfish 8 (KIN8) West coast North Island fishery

Introduction

The Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) has advised that a new proposal to reconsider the listing of kingfish on the Sixth Schedule of the Fisheries Act 1996 to allow the release of kingfish taken commercially, subject to conditions, has been released.

The Ministry is concerned that the integrity of the KIN8 TACC is not ensured.

An Initial Position Paper (IPP) was issued to stakeholders on 30 June 2005. MFish has invited stakeholders to provide comments on the consultation document.

Original deadline for comments was 29th July 2005. MFish then extended the deadline to 10th August.  

This document comprises the submission from option4 an NGO which promotes the interests of non-commercial marine fishers in New Zealand.

Current Management

Table 1:  TAC (tonnes), TACC (tonnes), catch (tonnes), catch YTD (tonnes), and deemed value liability ($) for 2003-04

MFish recommends that:

1. Kingfish is listed as a species on the Sixth Schedule of the Fisheries Act 1996 to allow kingfish to be released to the sea, subject to the condition that fish are
   1. not taken by the method of set netting;
   2. likely to survive;
   3. returned to the same waters from which they are taken;
   4. returned as soon as practical; and returned catch is recorded and reported on catch and effort forms using an appropriate code.
2. A code of conduct is developed to allow ready identification of kingfish likely to survive release and to guide their handling.

option4 Submit that:

1. We are pleased that the Ministry of Fisheries are acknowledging a problem in KIN8 and are looking to them to address the overcatch of kingfish by the commercial sector.
   
2. option4 continues to support the inclusion of kingfish on the Sixth Schedule to allow the return of live kingfish to the water.
   
3. Our support for the inclusion of kingfish on the Sixth Schedule is conditional on the understanding that every effort is made to ensure released kingfish are likely to survive.
   
4. We consider it essential that commercial fishers develop and actively follow a code of conduct that will allow ready identification of kingfish that are likely to survive when released.
   
5. Initially this code of conduct will require some independent monitoring to determine whether the urgency required to ensure the survival of kingfish can in fact be given sufficient priority by the crews aboard fishing vessels when landing catches.
   
6. If commercial fishers are found to not be complying to the Sixth Schedule requirements, or the code is unable to deliver the desired outcomes, then other management controls must be devised and implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries.  
   
7. MFish should inform the Minister that management controls proposed for the SNA8 fishery will likely result in less kingfish by-catch in KIN8.