August 14, 2015
New technology for sustainable snapper fishing
The New Zealand seafood industry makes a serious commitment to the sustainability of our fisheries through significant
investments in world-leading technologies, Chief Executive Tim Pankhurst says.
He was commenting on today’s announcement that fishing companies Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and Leigh Fish are stepping
up their efforts to bring greater transparency into the inshore fleet. The companies are some of the first to commit to
fitting vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all vessels within their fleets that are part of the snapper fishery
operating on the east coast of the North Island from the far north to the bottom of the Bay of Plenty.
Vessels catching more than five tonnes of snapper annually are having VMS fitted before October this year.
The technology allows for increased understanding of the fishery to enable prompt industry responses to fisheries
management needs, including fluctuations in numbers of fish.
“The New Zealand fishing industry is committed to having the world’s best managed fisheries.
We’ve been recognised as fisheries management leaders internationally, and we’re committed to remaining at the front.
Industry is making significant investments in the latest science and technologies to ensure that is has the right
fisheries data and the latest technologies to ensure our fisheries are well managed and sustainable for generations to
come.
“This VMS system for the snapper fleet is a very good example of industry taking the lead and investing in a tool that
can be used to better manage the fishery,” Tim Pankhurst says.
In addition to this use of VMS in the snapper fishery, the paua industry is planning to add VMS capability to its
vessels and divers, building on its existing programme to capture fisheries data electronically.
“VMS is just another example of New Zealand’s science-based fisheries management that has evolved over 30 years,
providing consumers with confidence that their seafood comes from a sustainably managed source,” Tim Pankhurst says.
ends