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Statement
National Party
31
August 2004
Minister's
botch-up means less kahawai for recreational fishers
Phil Heatley
National Fisheries
Spokesman
The Fisheries Minister's botch-up of kahawai allocations will mean
less fish for recreational fishers, says National Fisheries spokesman
Phil Heatley.
Despite kahawai's significance to recreational fishers, the Minister
proposes to increase the catch for commercial fishers which will
reduce the catch available to recreational fishers.
National will vote for an amendment to the Fisheries Amendment Bill
No. 3 today which will delay kahawai's introduction into the Quota
Management System (QMS) until the problems have been sorted.
Mr Heatley says the amendment will allow the Minister to sharpen
his pencil and start again.
"If he doesn't, he may find himself facing angry recreational fishers
in court.
"National supports kahawai going into the QMS, but not when it unnecessarily
penalises hundreds of thousands of recreational fishers from fishing
for their number one sports fish.
"The Minister should have taken into account the significance of
kahawai to recreational fishers when setting kahawai's Total Allowable
Catch (TAC) and Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC).
Mr Heatley says the Minister's plans for introduction of kahawai
into the QMS under these conditions are fatally flawed.
"This is David Benson-Pope's first full decision as Minister and
he has stuffed it up."
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