PAU3 Fisheries Plan and Proposed PAU3 Subdivision

Introduction

Fish Mainland is a recently incorporated not-for-profit organisation designed by a Working Group comprising South Island and Stewart Island recreational fishers. They designed it to be a fully functioning professional organisation that coordinates, represents and promotes the diverse interests of the 100,000+ fishers who fish in the marine environment, and works to restore and sustain fisheries resources to maximise fishers’ experiences and opportunities.

Fish Mainland is a Member-based organisation. The Members have democratic control over the organisation through the power to nominate, elect and remove five Regional Directors of the Board. Also, the South Island Mandated Iwi Organisations can appoint and remove two other Directors. The Board appoints two more Directors and an independent Chair of the Board. 

Elected and appointed Directors of the Board demonstrate Fish Mainland’s mandate to represent recreational fishers in the South Island and Stewart Island. The election and appointments of Directors will occur soon.

Accordingly, this submission is made without any mandate to represent. However, it does reflect what the Working Group, as acting Directors, considers is aligned with the views of the majority of South Island and Stewart Island fishers. It is also aligned with the views of the Kaikoura Marine Guardians.   

Submission

Fish Mainland supports the PAU3 Fisheries Plan in recognition of the need for different management priorities and requirements; maintaining a sustainable fishery in the southern portion of the fishery and protecting the northern portion while stocks rebuild. Fish Mainland acknowledges the Plan’s recognition of the shared nature of the fishery and its value across all sectors. Accordingly, the Plan’s implementation will need to remain inclusive, especially while developing a regime to enable the closed area to be re-opened on a precautionary, adaptive basis and other efforts to reach the full potential of the fishery.   

Fish Mainland supports Option 1 for the subdivision of PAU3 into PAU3-S and PAU3-N to better manage sustainability concerns, support the sustainable use of the southern portion of the fishery and enable the fishery in the north time to rebuild. This subdivision would also align with iwi and the Kaikoura Marine Area boundaries, which should benefit local management of the paua fishery.

Yours sincerely,

James Crossland
Acting Chair of the Board