Submission: Review of Sustainability Measures for Snapper, Red Gurnardand Gemfish for 2022/23

22 July 2022

Fisheries Management, Fisheries New Zealand

FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

Review of Sustainability Measures for Snapper (SNA7), Red Gurnard (GUR 3, GUR 7) Rig (SPO 3, SPO 7) and Gemfish (SKI 3, SKI 7) for 2022/23

Introduction

Fish Mainland is an incorporated society with charitable status whose purpose is to coordinate and assist the South Island marine fishing community in restoring and sustaining fisheries resources for the benefit of all who fish in South Island waters. In so doing, Fish Mainland works collaboratively with government, tangata whenua and others to bring about the best public outcomes.

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

Elected and appointed Directors of the Board demonstrate Fish Mainland's mandate to represent South Island recreational fishers Recreational Fishing South Island NZ - Fish Mainland

Submission

Fish Mainland acknowledges the importance of the species that make up the FMA 7 inshore commercial mixed trawl fishery, along with these species’ importance for the other fishing sectors. These species are increasingly important for recreational fishers as they have had to contend with further restrictions on the take of blue cod.

Accordingly, Fish Mainland does not support options that increase the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for these species, especially when there would also be a decrease in the recreational allowance (SPO 7). Fish Mainland questions why there are options that increase the TAC (on two occasions) and TACC (on all occasions) but no increase in the recreational allowances.

In summary, Fish Mainland supports Option 1 for SNA 7, GUR 7 and SPO 7.

Similarly, Fish Mainland supports Option 1 for GUR 3, SPO 3 and Gemfish (SKI 3, SKI 7), noting that Gemfish is increasingly taken by recreational fishers as bycatch when targeting Blue Nose and Groper.

Yours sincerely,

James Crossland

Chair of the Board

info@fishmainland.nz