New Zealand hoki fishery is seeking re-assessment under the MSC’s program for well-managed and sustainable fisheries. Hoki fishery is New Zealand’s largest commercial fishery and was the first certified to the MSC’s rigorous environmental standard in March 2001. It was then reassessed and recertified again in 2006, and will now undergo another in-depth assessment before the current five-year certificate expires.
In this re-assessment the certification body will re-examine the sustainability of the target fish stock at the fishery, the environmental impact of its fishing operations and the management and governance systems that are in place, to ensure they continue to meet the MSC requirements for certification.
New Zealand hoki are caught using pelagic trawls (mid-water) during the winter spawning season, and bottom trawls at other times of year. The main fishing grounds for this fishery are on the Chatham Rise (east of the South Island) and in the Sub-Antarctic and seasonally off the West Coast of the South Island, in Cook Strait,
Deepwater Group CEO, George Clement said that New Zealand’s hoki fishery is recognised as one of the best sustainably managed trawl fisheries in the world. Patrick Caleo, MSC Manager ANZ said that hoki fishery’s decision to enter for re-assessment proved that MSC program is delivering solid benefits to the fishery and their decision to seek recertification is a great vote of confidence in what the MSC aims to achieve.
