New Zealand fishing and processing group Sanford has responded to government proposals to establish a recreational fishery park.
The government released a white paper on the proposed Hauraki Gulf Recreational Fishing Park and Sanford has said that it will be in discussion with the government. The white paper sets out new approaches to marine protection in New Zealand waters and if accepted, would result in a new Marine Protected Areas Act to replace the existing Marine Reserves Act that dates back to 1971.
Last year, Sanford CEO Volker Kuntzsch said the company would stop fishing in the Hauraki Gulf if ‘everyone who throws a line in to the country’s most popular fishery records and reports what they are catching.’
The company says it still believes this is the best approach for the Hauraki Gulf.
Sanford’s Chief Operations Officer Greg Johansson says that the White Paper sets up a basis for discussion between all parties involved in the fishery, and that the main questions Sanford will be raising with the Government concern the impact on commercial fishing (quota) rights through the Quota Management System and the potential undermining of the foundations of the Quota Management System.
‘Sanford, along with other fishing companies and iwi, will be working through their concerns with the Government over the coming months as part of the consultation process,’ he said.
‘Sanford’s preference is an approach where both commercial and recreational fishers are equally responsible for recording, monitoring and managing the health of the fishery. Auckland has a fishery on its doorstep that is internationally envied. The challenge is how to build on the sound fisheries management approach that already exists and have even more abundance so that this can be shared to benefit all sectors,’ he said, commenting that over the last thirty years commercial fishers have made significant commitments, including catch reductions, to rebuild fish stocks including snapper, in the Hauraki Gulf.
