The Ministry of Fisheries and Fiordland Marine Guardians announced that the season was extended to allow fish stocks to rebuild. It is said that both Milford and Doubtful Sounds have been closed to amateur blue cod fishing since 2005, following recommendations to the Minister of Fisheries from the Fiordland Marine Guardians.
It is informed that all Fiordland’s inner sounds have been closed to commercial fishing since 2005 and Milford Sound has been closed to commercial fishing since 1994. The Ministry of Fisheries has been monitoring blue cod stocks in Milford and Doubtful Sounds since the summer of 2005/06, to see how they were responding to the amateur fishing closures.
Inshore Fishery Manager Rose Grindley, opined that it is yet to see any clear trend in blue cod numbers. She also said that the fisheries will continue to be monitored by the Ministry of Fisheries with a research project planned for the 2009 summer. Fiordland Marine Guardians Chairman Malcolm Lawson, added that it has always been the intention of the Guardians to put a long-term management plan in place, based on the results of the monitoring programme.
According to Lawson next year the Guardians will be undertaking a review of the overall management plan of Fiordland’s marine environment. He also told that it will be five years since its inception and we will be asking the public and user groups for their views on the current provisions and for future management ideas. The long term plan for the blue cod fishery in Milford and Doubtful Sounds will be part of this review.
