| Regulation
Review Submission
by
Marlborough Recreational Fishers' Association
14
September 2006
MRFA
PO Box 384
Blenheim
Amateur Fishing Regulations
The Marlborough Recreational Fishers' Association, representing
a direct membership of over 150 members, (both individual and organisational
membership), makes the following points.
- We question the purpose of reviewing regulations over so many
species, when so little is known about individual species, e.g.
trumpeter, gurnard and others.
Trumpeter
Due to a lack of information on stocks and population dynamics
of trumpeter we do not support a minimum legal size.
Gurnard
There is no legal minimum
size for gurnard and we believe in the light of "uncontrolled"
commercial fishing, which kills fish under the proposed 25 cm limit,
such a size limit becomes meaningless. The recreational catch of
gurnard is low and fishers return small sized fish anyhow and particularly
with gurnard that have a low flesh return relative to length.
We do not support a minimum
legal size for red gurnard.
Blue
Cod
Currently the size limit
is 30 cms for the Marlborough Sounds, Marlborough east coast area.
Dropping other areas from 33 cm to 30 cms would bring consistency
and facilitate compliance policing.
On bag limits for the
Sounds/east coast, we strongly advocate a six cod limit and a reduction
from the Cook Strait 20 limit to six, to facilitate compliance policing.
We note while the bag
limit was reduced to three (3) there was no drop in the allowable
catch for commercial. Raising the limit to six and reducing the
Cook Strait and other areas to six, would make common-sense management
and eliminate a conflict in bag limits. Currently a number of Wellington
boats operating under the 20 cod limit are fishing 3 cod limit areas
- these have been observed by both recreational and commercial fishers.
Consideration should be
given to a bag limit of six around most - if not all- of the South
Island.
Scallops
We do not favour any alteration
to area 7, for the current Scallop Recreational Fishing Season as
there is clear evidence spat fall occurs after late February.
Scallops are reportedly
of good quality.
A further comment would be that the extra bag limit for boatman
and/or safety person should have reduced from two to one per boat.
Catch
and Release
We urge strongly support
for the conservation ethic of "catch and release" usually
of undersized fish but all fish. There has been confusion - and
annoyance - due to Ministry statements. Daily bag limits therefore
should not include released fish.
We however do not support malpractice
such as high grading, i.e. releasing previously caught, dead fish.
Education
We believe that regulations
(e.g. bag/size limits) must have purpose and be meaningful. Codes
of ethical practice (e.g. "catch and release techniques, limit
your catch, don't catch your limit etc) would be far more valuable.
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