In its press communiqué Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley has declared new catch limits for blue whiting. In Bounty Islands southern blue whiting (SBW6B) the total allowable catch (TAC) will be reduced by more than half (53 percent) from 15,000 to 7,000 tonnes. He said that this is the first year of a two-year phased reduction because it is necessary because stock biomass has declined.
He also said that he has asked the Ministry of Fisheries to continue to monitor this fishery closely. A further acoustic survey is planned for 2011, the results of which will be used to inform the second catch limit reduction for the 2012-13 fishing year, he says. The Minister has decided to reduce the TAC by 30 percent to 30,000 tonnes due to significant biomass improvements in the Campbell Islands southern blue whiting (SBW6I). He said that such increase was approved due to the large increase in available biomass found in this fishery.
