Agenda:
- Marine Reserves
- Fisheries
Plans
- RFC Invitation
to option4 re: review committee
- option4
Letters
RFC Invitation
There was a
discussion concerning a letter from Ross Gildon inviting one option4 member to join the RFC Review Committee.
There was general
consensus among the option4 group that this invitation would allow
for regular feedback on the independant reviewers report to the
option4 committee, although all such information would be subject
to a press embargo. However it would be impossible to have imput
into the review process ie. clarification or oversight correction
of the reviewers report.
The fact that
the Soundings document was developed behind closed doors and now
the whole process appears to heading back behind closed doors was
of grave concern to members of the group. Further strategy discussion
by the option4 group on this topic was considered to be urgently
required and a close eye is being kept on developments untill our
next meeting.
As option4
is still unaware of the path to be taken by the Rights Working Group
and many answers are sought regarding the process, option4 unanimously
decided to neither accept nor decline the invitation from the RFC.
Until such time as option4 has full knowledge of the process, we
are unable to make a final decision regarding this invitation.
Scott Macindoe
will draft a reply to Ross Gildon outlining the need for option4 to receive answers in order to make an informed decision regarding
the invitation to the RFC Review Committee.
John Holdsworth
will draft a similar letter to Warwick Tuck requesting all information
regarding the Soundings process.
Marine Reserves
According to
Paul Barnes, Marine Reserves are currently set up for scientific
research puoposes and to monitor fish stocks in unfished populations
rather than for sustainability of the fish stocks. He suggested
that removing fishing effort from a marine reserve will displace
that effort into adjacent areas, and in fact if the area of reserves
is sufficiently large, serious depletion of the accessable fishery
outside the reserves would likely result under preexisting catch
strategies.
In Pauls opinion,
locking up large areas as marine reserves could work against the
sustainability functions of the Fisheries Act.
It is feared
that the Department of Conservation will likely take only pristine
non-commercial fishing areas for marine reserves. Paul raised the
issue of the no fishing zone (cable zone) in the Hauraki Gulf and
the fact that we could possibly already claim this area as a marine
reserve by default.
There was a
brief discussion regarding the Marine Reserves Act review and whether
or not option4 should submit a response.
It was agreed
by the group that option4 represents in excess of 70,000 individuals
who rely on option4 to do the right thing. It was therefore decided
to submit a brief response based on the 4 principles of option4
and that this submission will be written by John Holdsworth and
Paul Barnes. A draft will be sent to option4 members.
Option4 Letters
As decided during the option4 meeting held February 2, a letter
to the Minister of Fisheries, Pete Hodgson, requesting a meeting
was drafted, finalised and sent to the Minister. We are still waiting
for a response.
A letter to
Warwick Tuck requesting information under the Official Information
Act has been drafted, finalised and sent. We are also waiting for
a response to this letter.
Fisheries Plan
John Holdsworth informed the group of the Ministryıs plans to spearhead
a stakeholders process by December 2000, which has not yet been
completed. It endeavours to achieve the maximum input from both
commercial and non-commercial users into future fisheries plans.
The objective will be to form a committee which will formulate plans
to present to the Ministry.
Paul Barnes
gave a first hand example of several such committees he was involved
with in the mid 1990ıs, these were three Snapper Strategic Management
Groups. These voluntary groups met approximately 60 days per year
for 3 years and achieved nothing.
It was agreed
by the option4 group to begin a running debate on the web site
regarding fisheries committees. Many of the option4 group have
been involved in these talkfests in the past and have valuable knowledge
of the inner workings of such committee processes to share with
others. In particular our members know how the fishing industry
uses such groups to stall management decisions and how the Ministry
hides behind these groups instead of making the correct decisions
needed to manage the fishery sustainably. option4 will endeavour
to get this debate up and running as soon as possible and will include
full details, dates and scenarios on the web site
Next option4 meeting will be held
March 2,
2001 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
N.Z. Fishing News
274 Church Street
Penrose
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