Kia ora Friend,
The support for banning bottom contact fishing techniques is growing.
Local community initiatives such as rāhui on shellfish species by Ngāti Hei and Ngāti Paoa, and the Coromandel Restoration Programme have only heightened the conversation of the urgency to ban destructive fishing methods that are destroying our seafloor habitats.
And just today, public consultation has become available for a two-year closure on all scallop harvesting, initiated by Ngāti Hei.
Hunting & Fishing, Burnsco, and Marine Deals have all stopped stocking recreational scallop dredges in support.
Last year, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council (NZSFC) adopted a policy encouraging their members to stop using recreational dredges to harvest scallops.
And the following organisations support a ban on bottom contact fishing methods in the Hauraki Gulf: New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, LegaSea, Ngāti Hei, Revive Our Gulf, New Zealand Underwater Association, Spearfishing New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Yachting New Zealand, New Zealand Angling and Casting Association, Outboard Boating Club, Te Atatu Boating Club and the Kawau Boating Club.
The message is clear - It's time for bottom trawling and shellfish dredging to go.
The Hauraki Gulf Forum votes to stop scallop dredging
Today the Hauraki Gulf Forum has confirmed its policy to remove all industrial bottom trawling and scallop dredging (including recreational) harvest techniques from the entire Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
This has come after a series of presentations around consequences and community actions of banning recreational dredging by LegaSea, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Paoa and Revive Our Gulf.
Sam Woolford spoke alongside Joe Davis from Ngāti Hei about the Coromandel Scallop Restoration Programme, and how planning long-term management for rebuilding scallop stocks is vital.
Years of bottom contact fishing techniques have contributed to the decline of shellfish populations and the destruction of these ecosystems.
Read more about the support for the Hauraki Gulf Forum policy here.
How can you show your support for restoring scallops?
Community initiatives such as the Coromandel Scallop Restoration Programme have raised awareness of depleted shellfish stocks and banning destructive bottom contact fishing methods.
Moreso, it has sparked nationwide conversations around providing better long-term management of our fish stocks. Today we take our hats off to Ngāti Hei, who have given the Coromandel Scallop Restoration team the perfect opportunity to progress and start planning for long-term management of scallops.
Ngāti Hei recently submitted to MPI a request for a s186a closure on scallop harvesting for their entire rohe. The closure would be two years long and apply to commercial, recreational and customary fisheries along the most of Coromandel coast and including Repanga/Cuvier, Ahuahu/Great Mercury, Ohinau, the Alderman and Whakahau/Slipper Islands (see map).
Warren Maher, President of Tairua-Pauanui Sports Fishing Club represents over 520 people. He states: "Our members fish all over the Coromandel for scallops, from Slipper island up to the Mercury islands. We've noticed a decrease in scallop numbers, and recently our members have taken action by no longer recreationally dredging for scallops. We're supportive of Ngāti Hei in taking action to restore scallops over such a wide area."
We strongly support Ngāti Hei in this closure, as we all have the same goal of having more sustainable management of depleted scallop stocks, and a ban of dredging as a harvesting technique.
Show your support to get it over the line by submitting your views here.
Tarakihi stocks continue to plummet
Tarakihi populations along the east coast of both North and South island are at just 15% of their original population size.
In 2019, the previous Minister of Fisheries responded to this crisis with a token 10 percent cut in commercial catch, and a promise from the commercial fishing industry to catch fewer undersized fish by voluntarily moving out of areas with lots of juvenile fish.
Fisheries Inshore Chair, Laws Lawson admitted some tarakihi trawlers are still fishing in areas they promised not to fish because of their importance for juvenile tarakihi, and in areas closed to the fishery itself.
"Asking the commercial industry to self regulate is clearly not working. East Coast tarakihi is just another example of how the QMS is failing." Says Sam Woolford, LegaSea Spokesperson.
Read the LegaSea media release here.
Reel Questions with Fleur Sullivan
"Our fish brings tears to peoples eyes, the fish tastes like the fish their fathers caught. All the seafood is locally caught by my fishers, and we use every single part of the fish.
"What is really beautiful is when people from asian countries such as China come, and they see us maximising utilisation of the fish. They really really love the offcuts. Everyone gets the bits of the fish they love."
Fleur Sullivan is a quota owner, hunter-gatherer, food visionary and owner of legendary Moeraki seafood restaurant Fleur's Place.
Read her fascinating Reel Questions interview here.
The Price of Fish to screen on Three again
Mike Bhana's enlightening documentary, The Price of Fish, will once again be shown on Three on Easter Sunday, 4 April 2021 at 5pm.
What's the real cost of the way we are fishing in Aotearoa? Who's winning? Who's losing? And will there be enough fish for our grandchildren?
The Price of Fish examines New Zealand's so-called 'world leading' Quota Management System.
Don't miss it!
Get your Kōparepare for Easter now!
Order your Kōparepare wine before midday Tuesday and you will not only get your wine delivered to your door for free before Good Friday, but Whitehaven will also double their contribution to LegaSea from $1 per bottle to $2 per bottle!
So do yourself and our coastal waters a favour and order your wine now.
OPINION: Alwyn Poole on the importance of eco-system management
Sunday Star columnist, Alwyn Poole reflects on just how important it is that we act now to save our fisheries and our marine environment.
"Stories of the 'good old days' when you went down to the seashore at low tide and pitchforked crayfish out of the rock pools, or caught hapuku off the rocks, or gazed out at acres and acres of surface-feeding trevally and kahawai... Those days are gone.
"What we have today will also soon be gone if we don't make serious changes to how we fish, and how we look after our environment. Our obsession with profit is destroying all in its path."
Read the whole article on Stuff here.
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Thank you
Sam and the LegaSea crew
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