Boatshow Brochure
option4
May 2001
option4 - The choice of over 70,000 people and more than
70 organisations.
History shows that when the cuts come it is YOUR fish which are
taken to meet the demands of the commercial fishing industry. option4
want this to stop. Our objective is to secure a priority right for
recreational and sustenance fishers ahead of the commercial sector.
option4 came together as a response to the "Soundings"
document, released last year. Soundings sought to promote 3 options
to improve the lot of the public fisher. None of these options adequately
addressed the real issues as option4 saw them. option4 organised
an extensive program to raise public awareness of the issues at
stake. Thanks to your efforts 61,117 individual submissions, fully
supporting the principles of option4, were made to the public consultation
process. This response by the public was a powerful message, helping
the Minister of Fisheries to decide to drop licensing as an option.
Lets look at how seriously they took our submissions
What we Asked for |
What we Got |
No licensing |
100 % Success |
A priority right over commercial fishing |
Not Recommended Specifically |
A planning right that ensures fish conserved by the public
are kept for the public and not given to the commercial sector
|
Not Recommended Specifically |
An area right capable of excluding commercial methods from
recreationally important areas |
Not Recommended Specifically |
|
So, "One down
three to Go" |
What are we so worked up about?
option4 believes that the real agenda is to integrate the public's
fishing rights with the "property rights" based Quota
Management System, making us a minor shareholder in a Commercial
Fishing Industry dominated system.
- It will mean an explicit share of our fisheries will be allocated
to the public and we will have to constrain ourselves within that
overall limit. The shape of this allocation is likely to be a
finite overall tonnage.
- As the population and/or our enthusiasm for fishing grows, so
our individual catches will have to be continually reduced to
remain within our overall tonnage limit. Eventually our bag limits
will be reduced to levels so low it simply won't be worth going
fishing.
- If we want to eat fish we will have to buy it, finding ourselves
paying export prices to buy back the fish that could be given
away in the process we are involved in right now.
- The fishing industry will always want more - the reason is simple
- the worldwide demand for our precious inshore fish stocks is
insatiable. The drive for profit exceeds the drive for conservation
and rebuilding of stocks.
Don't think that this
has anything to do with the sustainability of the fishery. It is
more to do with maintaining commercial catches at their current
level. If we think back to 1986 and the implementation of the Quota
Management System (QMS), the Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ)
that was given to the fishing industry was the surplus fish not
required by the public at that time i.e. the Minister first allowed
for all non commercial users including recreational, sustenance
and traditional maori and the balance of the sustainable yield was
set as the permissible commercial harvest level for that year .
This interpretation of the balance between commercial and recreational
interests was formalised by Colin Moyle, the Labour Party Minister
of Fisheries, with the release of the "National
Policy for Marine Recreational Fishing" in 1989. This policy
clearly states
"Government is clear, where a species of fish is not
sufficiently abundant to support both commercial and non-commercial
fishing, preference will be given to non-commercial fishing. This
position reflects governments resolve to ensure all New Zealanders
enjoy and benefit from our fisheries."
The Labour Party that is now in power is trying to renege on this
clear and unambiguous policy, which has become known as Moyle's
promise. They certainly do NOT accept that a promise was made to
YOU.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
* Spread the word - far and wide.
* Register online
* If not online - Subscribe to the mail Quarterly Update
Due to overwhelming demand from clubs, individuals and organisations
not online, we have decided to make available a quarterly subscription
offer to the option4 Newsletter. The cost of this subscription is
$20 and may be applied for by writing with your details, cheque
enclosed, to -
option4.co.nz
PO Box 37951
Parnell
TOP |