Media Release – for immediate release
13 March 2014
Storm brewing around crayfish and scallops
Recreational fishers believe something smells off in recent proposals to manage selected regional fisheries, including
crayfish and scallops. New Zealanders are missing out on these seafood delicacies because management favours commercial
and export priorities ahead of public interests.
LegaSea supporters and New Zealand Sport Fishing Council affiliated clubs are particularly concerned about the
overfished CRA2 area, covering the greater Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty, and the collapsed scallop fishery at the top of
the South Island.
LegaSea is campaigning against ongoing management inequities.
LegaSea is also encouraging people nationwide to have a say and to support their submission using a simple online tool. www.legasea.co.nz/crayscallop
Commercial interests have for years dominated the advisory body to the Minister, the National Rock Lobster Management
Group.
This Group proposes the Minister maintains CRA2 at a level that produces an average catch rate of 410 grams per potlift
for the next 20 years.
In comparison, catch rates in adjoining areas are much higher. 1.7kg per potflift in Northland (CRA1), and 2.45kg on the
East Coast (CRA3).
CRA2 is already the most depleted stock in New Zealand. Commercial fishing effort has increased from 250,000 potlifts in
1999 to a whopping 530,000 potlifts per year in 2012 for the same catch, 230 tonnes.
At this stage there is no proposed reduction to the annual recreational allowance.
LegaSea is concerned that public fishers are being denied reasonable access to crayfish due to low abundance. The public
is only catching around 28% of their entitlement in CRA2.
Campaign coordinator Adam El-Agez, says, “This is just another symptom of a failing quota management system. Last year
Nathan Guy, the Minister for Primary Industries, continued to support the loophole that allows commercial operators to
catch undersized crayfish around the Gisborne coast - a blatant tool for denying the public catch so they can be
exported to China”.
“This year they seem intent on keeping the public in the Hauraki/BOP area scraping over the last few refugees of a
collapsed fishery.”
Mark Connor, President of the Sport Fishing Council is emphatic,“Crayfish are an important species in the coastal
ecosystem and highly valued by customary and recreational fishers. The management proposals are too little too late. The
public want real crayfish, not paper ones”.
Mr. Connor is based in Canterbury and shares the ongoing concerns for the scallop fishery in Tasman and Golden Bay. This
southern fishery was once praised as a shining example of industry self – management. It has also collapsed.
Last year the Bays were closed to commercial dredging by voluntary agreement, but the quota remained at 747 tonnes of
scallop meat.
Commercial fishing effort has now shifted into the fragile and extremely significant recreational areas of the
Marlborough Sounds.
“The industry and Ministry call this shared pain, shared gain. In reality it’s just the same old story of public pain
for commercial gain, says Mr El-Agez.
The Ministry proposed a reduction in quota to 46 tonne, but after pressure from the fishing industry released a late
alternative of 416 tonne.
“Yet again the Ministry and Minister are being pressured into giving priority to commercial economic considerations over
the sustainability of the stock and the public interest. If the scallop 7 stock is less than10% of the unfished
population then it should be closed according to the Ministry’s own policy” said Mr. Connor.
People can sign a letter to the Minister and support the LegaSea submission online at www.legasea.co.nz/crayscallop
ENDS