This letter contains my preliminary views on the sustainability measure and management control proposals that will be subject to consultation between MFish and myself and interested stakeholders. I request that stakeholders forward their submissions on these proposals to my office by Friday 26 July 2002. The date for receipt of submissions has changed from that stated initially by MFish.

Paua (PAU 5D)
My initial position on this proposal is to support option 2, which provides for the TAC to be set at 159 tonnes for the 2002-03 fishing year with a further reduction to 134 tonnes the following fishing year. Under this option the TACC would be reduced from 148.81 tonnes to 114 tonnes for the 2002-03 fishing year with a further reduction to 89 tonnes the following fishing year. In my view, option 2 would appear to provide the best chance to reduce catches to a level that will halt the decline and optimise the potential for a rebuild of the stock. Furthermore, the “stepped down” approach proposed by MFish will mitigate the social and economic consequences on the industry of a significant reduction proposed to the current TACC.

The recreational catch makes up a significant proportion of the total catch of PAU 5D. I support the consultation that MFish intends to conduct with recreational fishers on ways to constrain the recreational catch within the 22 tonne allowance proposed for this sector. I understand that a significant amount of the recreational catch is taken from the statutory and voluntary recreational-only areas along the Otago and Southland coast. I am interested in receiving information on the health of the paua fishery in each of these recreational fishing areas. This will enable me to consider whether or not measures should be tailored to address the state of each local recreational paua fishery