Source: Radio New Zealand
Fisheries New Zealand has proposed to drop protections for marlin and 19 reef-fish species. Andrew Spencer
All power and muscle, their spear-shaped snouts piercing the water as they leap and writhe above the waves, for the serious angler, there is no greater thrill than hooking a mighty marlin.
But recreational fishers fear this could become a thing of the past as the government looks to allow the fish to be sold as by-catch by commercial fishing companies.
Fisheries New Zealand has proposed a package of 19 regulation changes, which include dropping protections for marlin and 19 reef-fish species outside the Quota Management System.
Currently, if the species are caught by commercial fishers, they must be returned to the water dead or alive.
But the proposal aims to change this. If marlin or the 19 species of reef fish are caught as by-catch, they will be able to be kept and sold.
Advocates say it’s putting a target on Aotearoa’s vulnerable and slow-growing species and will further diminish an already dwindling public fishery.
Fisheries NZ said it will reduce waste but LegaSea’s Sam Woolford is worried marlin will be targeted anyway, like broadbill swordfish bycatch after they were approved for sale in 1991.
“We’ve seen this pattern before, they were allowed to sell broadbill if they were brought on-board dead,” Woolford said.
“Because they suddenly started targeting, although the amount of broadbill being landed grew, they realised that the only way to manage the growth in that area was to introduce it into the Quota Management System.”
Woolford said the marlin could be a repeat of what happened with broadbill.
“We’ve seen this happen with other species, so we haven’t been given any confidence that this isn’t going to happen with marlin,” he said.
“If you monetise anything then suddenly there’s a return on investment there’s an economic opportunity, so there will be people out there that will try to leverage that.”
It’s one of 20 species that would be able to be kept and sold on, as well as reef fish such as red moki and boarfish, if they’re caught by trawl, longline and Danish seine fishers.
Another proposal is to increase the length of nets that commercial fishers can use from 3000 to 4500 meters in open waters.
This isn’t the first time the government has tried to drop protections for marlin. In 2013, the same idea was proposed, but it was scrapped after public backlash.
“If the fishing industry can’t make money out of what’s currently being harvested, it seems concerning that we would actually open up new species for exploitation,” Woodford said.
“Surely we’ve got to be able to work within the current system to make money, rather than move from fishery to fishery, because the current systems are failing.”
Marlin fishing is a big part of Northland’s tourism industry. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Bay of Islands local Andrew Johnson said the proposed changes will hit Northland massively.
“For 100 years in the Bay of Islands people have been fishing for marlin and chartering boats, buying boats, buying fishing equipment,” he said.
“[They’ve] been spending money in our local communities, tackle stores, motels, hotels and our clubs, to come here and catch marlin.”
Johnson is on the committee of the Bay of Island’s Swordfish Club. He said fishing for marlin is a big part of Northland’s tourism industry.
“That’s the value we get out of fishing, is when we go out there and catch a marlin. If we can’t do that, our clubs start to die, our communities start to die, not as many people go out and by fishing boats, lures, charter boats and buy fuel.”
Andrew Johnson is also worried about the identity of the north.
“When you get over the Brynderwyn’s and you’re heading north, next time you do that, you look at how many businesses have a marlin in their logo.”
“It’s everywhere, our lines company Top Energy’s logo is a marlin. This ingrained culture of marlin fishing and game fishing is part of the Northland identity.”
Sydney Curtis, who runs a fish tagging programme across Aotearoa said the proposal is a backwards step for the population of marlin.
She said 50 percent of marlin are currently tagged and released.
“It’s moving out of an overfished state, but it’s assessed as being overfished. But the level of fishing that’s occurring right now is not contributing.”
Fisheries NZ is inviting the public for feedback on the proposal, which they can do until 28 November.
Emma Taylor, the Director Fisheries Management for Fisheries New Zealand told Checkpoint they are not proposing to bring marlin or any other species into the Quota Management System.
“The proposal to allow commercial fishers to retain and sell marlin relates only to bycatch of dead marlin, and it is not intended to incentivise or create a target fishery.”
She said if the proposal is approved, they are not expecting an increase in dead marlin.
“The proposal only relates to vessels that are monitored either by a fisheries observer or onboard cameras and subject to electronic catch reporting.”
“If approved, Fisheries New Zealand would monitor commercial fishing activity and marlin catch through our systems. If significant changes were identified, further management action would be considered.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
