The measures are the result of international negotiations over the last three or four years, including at the United Nations. The New Zealand industry has supported the negotiation of a regional management agreement for fisheries in the southern Pacific. Symmans informed that the industry continue its support to the negotiation of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Agreement as it will be only way that the industry can get international agreement on how the high seas fisheries can be developed when the interim measures end in 2010.
According to Symmans the implementation of the measures has been negotiated with industry over the last several months. He said that the industry will severely reduce the area where New Zealanders can go fishing, but the area where most fishing has occurred will remain available for fishing.
The New Zealand industry is still waiting for the details of the measures. Symmans told that the industry will be angry if others who fish in our back pond don’t have to meet similar restrictions on their freedom to fish. He further adds that the New Zealand government is expecting its industry to pay a very high price for being responsible high seas fishers and we need to be assured that we are not alone in having to make economic sacrifices.
