Fishing charter boat reporting under way soon

A new scheme formally announced today by Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley, will help improve knowledge about New Zealand’s fisheries and ensure the interests of amateur fishers are taken into account in fisheries management decisions.

The operators of amateur charter fishing boats have been contacted and asked to register their boats with the Ministry of Fisheries. From 1 November 2010 they will need to have been registered and will be required to report their fishing activity and catches of certain high value fish species such as kingfish and rock lobster, in various areas around the country."

Mr Heatley says this is an important move towards developing better understanding of our fisheries.

“Amateur fishing is a big recreational pastime for New Zealanders - about a third of us go fishing at some stage during the year, especially in summer.

“Improving information on amateur fishing is a government priority. To make sure the interests of amateur fishers are taken into account in management decisions we need to understand where, when and how they fish, as well as what they catch,” he says.

Charter boats are a significant part of the amateur scene – at last count there were about 600 of them plying our waters. In some fisheries, such as the West Coast bluefin tuna fishery, catch from charter boats is a large proportion of total amateur catch.

“We needed to find a good mechanism to gather meaningful information from charter boat operators while taking as little of their busy time as possible. I’m confident we’ve achieved the right balance with this scheme,” says Mr Heatley.

From 1 November operators will start reporting how often they go fishing, and how much of some key species of fish are being caught in certain areas.

“Not only will better information on amateur fishing activities help greatly with understanding the importance of amateur fisheries, but it will also assist with overall fisheries management, says Mr Heatley.

“Earlier this year I announced the largest study of amateur fishing in a decade that will get under way later this year. These research projects and reporting will combine to give us the most comprehensive picture of amateur fishing New Zealand has ever had.”

For more information on charter boat reporting, go to this link:
http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Amateur+Charter+Vessel+Reporting/default.htm

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