New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Supports Minister's Decision on Sea Lions
11th April 2006
The seafood industry supports the Minister of Fisheries' decision to allow squid fishers to benefit from more squid in
the southern ocean this season, says New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Chief Executive Owen Symmans.
"We need to take advantage of an abundance of squid this season and we can do that without endangering the sea lion
population around the Auckland Islands," said Mr Symmans. "The proposed increase to the allowed number for sea lions
that can be caught is an upper limit and we would fully expect that the actual number caught will be fewer. This is a
positive move by the Minister based on scientific research, and recognises the economic importance of the fishery."
ENDS