14 July 2016

LegaSea welcomes Minister’s decision

Nathan Guy’s decision to partially close Southern Scallops to all fishing for a season is a good decision to protect the highly prized scallop fishery at the top of the South Island. Recreational group LegaSea supports a complete ban of scallop harvesting until the fishery recovers to abundant levels.

The Minister for Primary Industries’ decision applies to popular scallop beds fished by both recreational and commercial fishers in the Marlborough Sounds and eastern Tasman Bay. The closure will run for the current season which ends in February 2017.

Over 150 submissions were made to the Ministry’s review process with the majority of submissions agreeing that the fishery needed to close.

LegaSea spokesperson Richard Baker says, “We welcome the Minister’s decision even though it didn’t go as far as we would have liked. It is encouraging that people are willing to leave these scallop beds undisturbed this year to maximize the chance for a rapid rebuild, for their children and future generations to enjoy.”

LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council made recommendations as part of their submission that a long term view needed to be taken, and closing the fishery was only the first step. The submission recommended the Southern Scallop fishery remain closed until abundance improved.

In October, MPI will consult on new management proposals for the 2017 season.

ENDS

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