What
does sustainable utilisation actually mean?
The
purpose of fisheries legislation is to provide for utilisation
while ensuring sustainability. This is to ensure that future generations’
needs are met and to enable people to provide for their social,
economic and cultural wellbeing.
In 2004 the Ministry of Fisheries acknowledged that recreational
landings of kahawai were not satisfying current needs. MFish also
noted that people targetting kahawai fished frequently, were food
fishing and mainly shore-based. Kahawai fishers were also identified
as being less affluent and less able to afford to target other
species in deeper waters.
It is a simple fact that purse seiners can and will take easy-access
fish first - the same inshore fish we target. This leaves the
larger fish-mass out to sea where only commercial fishers have
easy access. The outcome has been empty catch bags for non-commercial
fishers.
Kahawai have gone from being the ‘people’s fish’
to cheap Australian crayfish bait.
It is the ‘science’ and MFish management that creates
this absurd notion of kahawai being above sustainable levels when
clearly our inshore waters are devoid of the healthy fish stocks
we all remember.
Protecting
your fishing rights
Your
ongoing access to kahawai, snapper, blue cod, kingfish, crayfish
and paua could all be influenced by the outcome of the Appeal.
If you want to contribute to the defence please:
