Ministry of Fisheries has organized a two-month national programme to assess the interaction between fishing vessels and dolphins ends this weekend. Ministry of Fisheries national environment manager Steve Halley told that the department was “actively investigating” those skippers as they were legally required to take an observer on board. The ministry would not identify the skippers.
It is informed that these skippers face a possible fine of up to $250,000. Port Chalmers Fishermen’s Co-operative president Steve Little said he was being investigated and believed the others also being investigated were from Taieri Mouth and Bluff. He was still waiting to hear back from the ministry regarding possible prosecution after having a formal interview with his lawyer present a few weeks ago.
Taieri Mouth fisherman Gary Homan confirmed he was being investigated as he refused to take an observer because he was only certified by Maritime New Zealand to carry two people on his boat. Halley expressed that the ministry would now review the programme in light of the issues raised to determine if, and how, any subsequent programmes might progress.
The Labour government had provided extra funding for the ministry’s observer programme, but it had not yet been decided how and where to use the funds. It is said that no dolphins were caught during the programme. New Zealand Commercial Fishing Federation president Doug Sanders-Loder said it would be happy to be involved in a “robust” review of the programme.
