Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016

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Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
Seafood
AUGUST 2016 • VOLUME 24 • NO.4

                                     NEW ZEALAND

A love of
seabirds p27
The true cost of
recreational parks p36

Cover Story: Fisheries for
the future p15
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
Your biggest catch
could be your worst
nightmare
On the sea floor of Cook Strait, 350,000-volt     Severe Penalties apply – don’t jeopardise
power cables and fibre optic cables link the      your livelihood
North and South Islands, delivering essential     Under the law, any vessel of any size, fishing
electricity and communication to households       or anchoring in the CPZ may be subject to
and businesses throughout New Zealand.            significant legal penalties. These sanctions
At Transpower, it’s our job to keep this energy   cover any equipment that may be used for fishing
and communication flowing over land and           or anchoring deployed over the side of a vessel
under sea. That’s why we have a vital interest    in the CPZ.
in the protection of our undersea cables from     Penalties apply to both the master and vessel
damage caused by fishing and anchoring in         owner, including fines up to $100,000 for fishing
the Cook Strait Cable Protection Zone.            or anchoring, and up to $250,000 for damaging
As a maritime professional, fishing in the        a submarine cable. In addition the Court may
Cook Strait area, the safety of our country’s     order forfeiture of the vessel and Transpower may
critical power and telecommunications             take legal action to recover repair costs, which
connections is literally in your hands.           could exceed $30–$40 million.
Respect the Cable Protection Zone (CPZ)           Don’t take chances. Refer to the publication
                                                  Cook Strait Submarine Cable Protection Zone.
If you are fishing or anchoring near the CPZ,     This is located on the Transpower website
know your exact location by checking the          www.transpower.co.nz
relevant charts. These include: NZ 463,
NZ 6212 and NZ 615.                               Alternatively contact 0800 THE GRID or
                                                  0800 843 4743.
Should you snag your anchor or fishing
equipment on a cable, do not try to free it.
Instead, record your position, abandon your       Catch fish...
                                                   not cables
gear and advise Transpower’s patrol vessel
(“Seapatroller”, Channel 16 or cellphone
0274-442-288) or Transpower of the
situation immediately.

www.transpower.co.nz
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
CONTENTS

FEATURES                                         OPINION                            REGULARS
15 Cover feature: Fisheries                      13 Kermadec Ocean                  35 Recipe: Queenstown chef
   for the future                                   Sanctuary: the global              champions New Zealand
                                                    contest to establish large         seafood
36 The true cost of                                 MPAs
   recreational fishing parks                                                       43 Event: Nelson Blessing of
                                                                                       the fleet
40 Salt of the Ocean: Born to
   fish and be his best

                                                                                     40

                                                                                                          27

  15 COVER STORY

        29                                                                     43

  XX                          COVER STORY

Cover Image: Aspen Wolfe (19 months) Pictured at Thames Wholesales Fisheries         Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 3
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
COVER FEATURE
             EDITORIALS

Published by Seafood New Zealand Ltd.                From the
                                                     Chief Executive
Postal Address:
PO Box 297
Wellington
New Zealand
                                                                                             One of the country’s main daily newspapers
Physical Address:
                                                                                         used to have a maxim painted boldly above its
Level 6
                                                                                         chief reporter’s desk, “thoughts are free, but
Eagle Technology House
135 Victoria Street
                                                                                         facts are sacred”.
Wellington                                                                                   That building, with its reminder to the
Phone: +64 (0)4 385 4005                                                                 newspaper’s reporters is long gone – it was
www.seafoodnewzealand.org.nz                                                             bulldozed down decades ago.
                                                                                             In recent months mainstream and social
                                                                                         media have run with a lot of thoughts and
                                                                                         perceptions, not facts drawing on the body
                                                                                         of science that tells us our fisheries are
ISSN 1172-4633                                                                           performing well. Around 83 per cent of
Editorial enquiries:                                 individual fish stocks of known status and almost 97 per cent of landings are
Email: editor@seafood.org.nz                         above or well above levels where their sustainability would be a cause for
                                                     concern.
Advertising enquiries:
Karen Olver
                                                         In this issue we include a centre spread marking 30 years of the Quota
Phone: +64 (0)4 802 1513                             Management System (QMS). The contributions from our science partners
advertising@seafood.org.nz                           outline the valuable contributions they make to understanding the status of our
                                                     fisheries, informing responsible fisheries management and how science adds
Subscriptions:
                                                     value to our products.
Seafood New Zealand is published for the
                                                         This disregard for the facts from those who slavishly oppose fishing, is not
New Zealand seafood industry. It is also
available on subscription in New Zealand and         isolated to New Zealand.
overseas. Subscription rates are available on            Dr John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute in the United
request. Seafood New Zealand is produced bi-         States argues the case for the facts in the case of sustainable fisheries in the
monthly (six issues per annum).                      face of false perceptions. He says despite the success of America’s Fisheries
                                                     Regulator NOAA many consumers believe the American fishing industry has
General:
The reproduction of articles and materials
                                                     caught the last fish in the ocean. Consumers didn’t dream this up, he says,
published in Seafood New Zealand, in whole           but rather, skilful manipulation by advocacy NGOs with their distorted facts,
or in part, is permitted provided the source and     and incomplete science, have clouded fisheries management successes to
author(s), as applicable, are acknowledged.          confuse consumers and make them lose confidence in the sustainability of their
                                                     seafood purchases. Sound familiar?
However, all photographic material is copyright
                                                         Dr Connelly promises to be an informed and engaging speaker at our
and written permission is required to reproduce
it in any shape or form. Contributions of a nature
                                                     annual conference in Wellington on August 31.
relevant to the seafood industry are welcomed            Also in this issue there is a profile of a young skipper who loves sharing
and industry participants are encouraged to          the sea with his seabird companions, a report on a partnership with the
contribute. Letters to the Editor should be          Department of Conservation to protect seabirds, and measures used by
signed and carry the writers’ full names and         fishermen to prevent seabird capture.
addresses.                                               On January 12 this year the Government announced a proposal for
Articles and information printed in Seafood
                                                     recreational fishing parks in the inner Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds
New Zealand do not necessarily reflect               – banning commercial fishing from those areas. Some of those who would be
the opinions or formal position of Seafood           affected in the Hauraki Gulf have shared their stories.
New Zealand Ltd unless otherwise indicated.              The recipe comes from Darren Lovell of Queenstown’s Fishbone Restaurant,
                                                     a great advocate for the “facts” about the healthy state of our fisheries and the
All material published in Seafood New Zealand
is done so with all due care as regards accuracy
                                                     QMS. He has chosen a delicious, but simple recipe for orange roughy, a fish
and factual content. The publishers and editorial    which consumers can now eat guilt free because of the remarkable story of its
staff, however, cannot accept responsibility for     recovery achieved through sound science and prudent fisheries management.
any inadvertent errors and omissions that may
occur.

                                                       Tim Pankhurst
                                                       Chief Executive
4 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
NEWS

Readers’ survey                             what you like and what you would like to
                                            read more about in the magazine.
                                                                                               the articles that you have told us you
                                                                                               enjoy reading.
Thanks to all those who participated           A clear message came through that                  We’re always on the lookout for good
in the online survey to find out what       you would like more about the ”grass               stories about people, vessels, events
you, the reader wants to see in             roots” people that make up our industry,           and technology so if you have any story
Seafood.                                    their vessels and the technology they              ideas please email us at
                                            use. So over the coming issues expect              editor@seafood.org.nz.
We have had some great feedback on          to see more about these and more of

Image: Khumthong, FreeDigitalPhotos.net            Image: John Kasawa, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

SeaDragon                                   fishery.
                                                “Presently we are restricted to the
                                                                                               products, will increase to $33 billion
                                                                                               USD ($45.76 billion NZD) this year.
needs pure                                  utilisation of hoki livers to produce a
                                            New Zealand MSC certified fish oil.”
                                                                                                  Australia/New Zealand make up
                                                                                               about 1.5 per cent of the global
New Zealand                                     Quite a low proportion of raw
                                            material for the company’s Omega-3 oil
                                                                                               Omega-3 market, according to the
                                                                                               GOED’s recently published 2015
hoki oil                                    was currently sourced from New Zealand             Finished Products Report.
                                            fishing companies, Gornall says.                      SeaDragon continues to work with
Sai Raje
                                                The company sources its raw                    New Zealand’s major players to establish
                                            material from Fiji, American Samoa and             a supply of edible-quality crude hoki oil,
SeaDragon Ltd is yet to source raw
                                            Seychelles.                                        Gornall says.
material supply of edible-grade crude
                                                It processes fish oils and fish livers            SeaDragon’s new Nelson-based
hoki oil from within New Zealand for
                                            into purified Omega-3 fish oils, for               refinery, which employs a staff of four,
its new Omega-3 refinery in Nelson.
                                            use in the cosmetic products, or in                and has a refining capacity of 5200
The fish oil processor anticipates its      dietary supplements manufactured                   tonnes per year, currently operates only
main New Zealand product will be from       by nutraceutical and pharmaceutical                a single shift on low volumes of oil. It
hoki but has not managed to source raw      industries.                                        was completed at a final cost of $10.8
material supply of crude hoki oil for the       SeaDragon’s current range of fish oil          million, stepping over a budgeted cost
refinery.                                   products includes - MSC Hoki Liver Oil,            of $6 million in 2013-14 and $9.2 million
   SeaDragon compliance manager             School Shark Liver oil, Ghost Shark Liver          in 2014-15.
Mark Gornall says there are two hurdles     Oil, and Tuna Omega-3 oil, Gornall said.              Sealord, New Zealand’s largest hoki
to sourcing this supply.                        “Some of these are manufactured to             quota holder (with 29 per cent of total
   “The first being to source a             order and others to stock.                         quota) confirmed that the company has
New Zealand crude fish oil that is              “The products are packed in a                  only supplied hoki livers to SeaDragon
suitable for human consumption.             range of formats to suit the end users’            (34 tonnes since November 2015) and
   “This gives us access to relatively      requirements.”                                     that it processes its entire fishmeal
large volumes of fish oil from                  The Global Organization for EPA and            product itself, either at sea or on their
New Zealand fisheries.                      DHA Omega-3s (GOED), a worldwide                   land-based facility.
   “The second is for it to be 100 per      marketing board for Omega-3 oils,                     SeaDragon has also produced several
cent hoki such that we can utilise the      forecasts that the worldwide market                batches of New Zealand salmon oil
sustainability credentials of this Marine   value for all Omega-3 uses, food                   and continues to work closely with the
Stewardship Council (MSC) certified         ingredients as well as pharmaceutical              New Zealand King Salmon Company in

                                                                                                 Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 5
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
NEWS

this area, Gornall says.                      yearly performance forecast, reporting      of 31 March 2016 and 30 June 2016.”
    “SeaDragon re-commenced                   a net loss after tax of $5.5 million,          The company breached a covenant
production trials of salmon oil from          including an inventory write-down of        relating to how much working capital it
by-products as we look to invest in new       $4.3 million (increased from unaudited      should hold in comparison to its debt.
equipment for this.                           net loss of $4.9 million and writedown of      In July, the company also announced
    “The product is available for sale and    $3.6 million).                              the appointment of a new chief
we have plans for salmon oil production           The loss was almost double that of      executive - Nevin Amos, who will
to continue.”                                 $2.8 million in the previous year.          take over from interim chief executive
    New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS)                On May 27, SeaDragon confirmed          Richard Alderton in October.
divisional manager Simon Thomas               its exit from the Omega-2 oil market,          He is currently chief executive at
says they have supplied relatively small      helped along by a $3 million convertible    Pacific T&R, and previously worked at
volumes of edible-grade raw material          loan from one of its major shareholders     SeaDragon’s cornerstone shareholder
(heads, frames, skins and trimmings) to       Comvita, which holds a 13 per cent stake    Comvita for about 10 years.
SeaDragon as it trials the oil extraction     in SeaDragon. Manuka giant Comvita             SeaDragon Chairman Colin Groves
process.                                      has been granted further options that       says Dr Amos’ strong links to Comvita
    NZKS has a large volume of                would allow it to acquire a 25.2 to 30.6    will also assist SeaDragon to make the
remaining raw materials available that        per cent stake in SeaDragon.                most of the strategic alliance it has
are currently sent to another rendering           SeaDragon says it agreed to sell        formed with its cornerstone investor
facility to produce salmon meal and           the majority of its existing Omega-2        to add value to New Zealand fish and
crude salmon oil, Thomas says.                inventory (goods in stock) to “a major      aquaculture products.
    “This is a low tech low return disposal   international food and fine chemicals          “He has strong leadership skills and
method.                                       company” (for about $2.5 million).          a proven record in global business. This
    “The partnership that NZKS and                Due to the low market price for         includes an awareness of SeaDragon’s
SeaDragon can form utilises product           Omega-2 products, the sale resulted         target markets and an in-depth
that is currently disposed of in a less       in an additional write down in value of     understanding of supply chain systems
than ideal way.                               $600,000 to its inventory for the 2016      and processes. These skills have the
     “With additional volume coming on        financial year, bringing the total write-   potential to add enormous value as
line we are able to provide product in        down to $4.3 million.                       we transition to the production and
substantial volumes and therefore give            In a statement published with its       marketing of sustainably-sourced
SeaDragon confidence in building a            annual report, SeaDragon says as a          Omega-3 fish oils,” Groves says.
business case around the extraction of        result of the additional write-down, the
oil from our King salmon.”                    company “did not comply with one
    SeaDragon’s audited financial results,    of its lending covenants set out in its
released on June 30, shows it missed its      lending facilities with Heartland Bank as

Long
service
recognised
Long service by fishing
veterans Ted Collins (left) and
Joe Hebberley to the rock
lobster industry in the CRA 5
(top of the South Island) rock
lobster fishery was recognised
at a recent meeting of the
CRA 5 Rock Lobster Industry
Association. The awards
recognise their oversight and
guidance of the industry over
many years. Pictured with them
is association chairman Geoff
Basher.

                                   Image: Colleen Kiddie
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
NEWS

Image: Primary ITO

Raising                                       2.8 per cent).
                                                 Primary ITO Schools Liaison Manager,
                                                                                            as an important global food basket now,
                                                                                            and in a future that requires a global
awareness of                                  Derek McCullum, says the challenge is
                                              to attract good quality people – for the
                                                                                            increase in food production of 70 per
                                                                                            cent by 2050.
where food                                    right reasons – into the primary sectors.
                                                 “A more urbanised population does
                                                                                                But it’s going to be the young people
                                                                                            in the suburban schools of Mt Roskill,
comes from                                    make it difficult,” he says.                  Fendalton, Porirua, Ashburton and
                                              The fight back                                others that we will be depending on to
                                                  But the primary sector is fighting        get us there, McCullum says.
One of the less obvious challenges            back with a whole range of co-ordinated       For more information, please contact:
facing New Zealand’s primary sector           initiatives, says McCullum.
is that only 14 per cent of the                                                             Anna Cox, Primary ITO Communications
population now lives rurally, and 81              “It’s clear that primary industries       Adviser anna.cox@primaryito.ac.nz or
per cent of teens – many of whom will         aren’t just sitting on their hands            call (04) 382 2853, or mobile (027) 436
be needed to work in the sector – say         worrying. “                                   6469.
they know only a little or nothing                However, he says it’s important to
about fishing, farming and food               make sure that attracting and informing       About Primary ITO
production.                                   young people about careers in primary
                                              industries is industry led.                      Primary ITO provides NZQA
A recent Rabobank survey of urban                 “Primary ITO continues to work            endorsed qualifications and training to
teens found that 72 per cent don’t know       with industries to establish what skills      people employed in the agriculture,
anything, or know just a little, about how    businesses want for employees because         horticulture, equine, seafood, sports turf
food gets from the sea to plate. Viewed       it’s not just a question of the right         and food processing industries.
in that light, it’s not surprising that       people, but the right people doing the           The ITO provides leadership in
there’s a lack of knowledge of primary        right things for the right reasons.           education and training, develops
industry career opportunities and false           “We connect employers with                national qualifications, maintains
perceptions about what that career            students so that everybody is making          national standards and provides
entails.                                      the right choices. It is as much about        ongoing support for their trainees and
    A quality and substantial workforce       knowledge, information and exposure           employers.
will be needed to maintain the primary        as it is about brokering opportunities           Primary ITO training is subsidised by
sector’s fundamental importance               and connecting all stakeholders,” he          industry and Government.
to New Zealand, especially when               says.                                         For more information on Primary ITO
agriculture, horticulture, forestry, mining       For all the talk about diversifying the   please go to www.primaryito.ac.nz or
and fishing account for 7.6 per cent of       New Zealand economy, the fact is that         call 0800 20 80 20.
GDP (agriculture around 5.0 per cent          primary industry is not only critical to
and processing of primary food a further      this country, but also New Zealand’s role

                                                                                               Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 7
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
NEWS

New health                                  Maritime NZ has developed two
                                            new publications aimed at increasing
                                                                                        Act. These publications answer many
                                                                                        of the questions that may be on the
and safety                                  maritime operators’ understanding
                                            of their health and safety obligations
                                                                                        minds of maritime operators and their
                                                                                        workers,” says Forsyth.
publications                                under the Health and Safety at
                                            Work Act (HSWA) 2015. The Act,
                                                                                           Health and Safety: A guide for
                                                                                        mariners gives an in-depth explanation
                                            which came into effect in April 2016,       of health and safety obligations under
                                            places new duties on everyone in the        HSWA. The scenarios in the guide
                                            workplace. Maritime NZ is responsible       describe how four operators of different
                                            for enforcing the Act in the maritime       sizes and types meet their obligations.
                                            sector.                                        The brochure, The Health and Safety
                                                                                        at Work Act at a Glance, provides an
                                            “As the regulator we have a
                                                                                        overview of the new terms and duties
                                            responsibility to help operators
                                                                                        that are important for operators to
                                            understand their obligations, and how
                                                                                        understand.
                                            those obligations apply in a maritime
                                                                                           These publications, along with a
                                            context,’ says Maritime NZ general
                                                                                        series of new guidance documents are
                                            manager of maritime standards, Sharyn
                                                                                        available on the Maritime NZ website or
                                            Forsyth.
                                                                                        you can request a hard copy at HSWA@
                                               “Having a boat or ship as your
                                                                                        maritimenz.govt.nz
                                            workplace raises some interesting
                                            questions about how to comply with the

Sharyn Forsyth

Romance of the                              tickets would move into the new system
                                            over the following four years. But that
                                                                                        that they are medically fit.
                                                                                           More information on ring-fencing is
sea preserved                               transition process would have come at a
                                            cost to seafarers and some would have
                                                                                        available on the MNZ website. Seafarers
                                                                                        can check how their tickets are affected
for old salts                               required additional training to move to
                                            SeaCert tickets.
                                                                                        by going to www.maritimenz.govt.nz/
                                                                                        legacy. (Click “SeaCert” on the Maritime
and their                                      Feedback from seafarers with older       NZ website homepage and use the tool
                                            tickets, some nearing the end of their      found under “What happens to old
tickets                                     careers, was that they didn’t see the       tickets”).
                                            value, in time or money, in moving into        Maritime NZ is working with the
Steve Rendle, Maritime NZ.
                                            SeaCert.                                    Ministry of Transport with a view to
The romance of the sea will be                 In response, Maritime NZ travelled       getting rule changes covering ring-
preserved under recommendations             round the country to consult on changes     fencing in place as soon as possible,
by Maritime NZ to allow seafarers           to the SeaCert rules. It proposed a         hopefully around September 2016.
to continue to using certificates           process called ring-fencing – where
like Master Small Home Trade Ship,          seafarers kept their old ticket and could
Master River Ship, and Second and           continue using them to do what they
Third Class Steam Engineer.                 had previously been doing.
                                               The consultation process was one
A new certification system called
                                            of Maritime NZ’s most successful with
SeaCert was introduced for seafarers in
                                            more than 400 seafarers attending
2014, designed to give seafarers a clear
                                            meetings around the country, from
career path and qualifications that are
                                            Invercargill to Gisborne. More than 350
easily used overseas.
                                            submissions were received and there
   It’s worked well for seafarers with
                                            was overwhelming support for ring-
modern tickets, but the challenge for
                                            fencing.
Maritime NZ was how to handle older
                                               As a result of the feedback, Maritime
tickets that are no longer issued and are
                                            NZ is recommending that the rules be
a legacy of several previous maritime
                                            changed to allow seafarers to ring-fence
regulatory regimes.
                                            old or legacy tickets provided they have
   When SeaCert was introduced, it was
                                            a medical certificate from any GP stating
envisaged that seafarers with these old                                                 Keith Manch

8 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
NEWS

Details on progress will continue to be        “We had a look at the issue and           “We are trying to make it as
made available on the Maritime NZ           decided it was possible to reduce the        straightforward as possible for
website.                                    regulatory burden on seafarers with          seafarers to continue working with the
   Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch         some older tickets,” he says.                introduction of SeaCert – and for as little
says feedback from the industry showed         “For a lot of seafarers, there is quite   cost to them as possible.”
many seafarers simply wanted to carry       rightly a lot of pride in having these
on doing what they’re doing.                older tickets.

The growing                                 gifting was motivated by kinship and
                                            personal relationships. This was the
                                                                                         and have exquisite packaging (50 per
                                                                                         cent). Chocolate might be the most
opportunity for                             most common gifting group and prices
                                            for gifts were generally around NZ$150,
                                                                                         popular gift, but 82 per cent of our
                                                                                         survey agreed that health food gifts are
food gifting in                             although, within this group, gifts for
                                            parents were higher, with an average
                                                                                         growing in popularity. “It will never go
                                                                                         wrong when you give them health,” said
China                                       spend of around $260.                        one focus group member.
                                                The second group was an outer               While price, brand and packaging
Gifting has long been recognised            circle of relationships more often based     were the top three reasons quoted for
as an important aspect of Chinese           on access to resources, opportunities        assessing the value represented by
culture and, thanks to a booming            or services. A giftee in this group          a food gift generally, when we asked
economy and rapid social change,            included teachers, doctors, clients and      specifically about imported foods this
the practice is rising in frequency and     employers. This group received gifts         shifted to brand, nutritional value and
value. Roger Bourne of Plant & Food         less often, but prices were higher, often    country of origin. New Zealand fared
reports.                                    around NZ$300.                               well in the list of countries our survey
New research by Plant & Food Research           In Chinese culture, gifting acts as a    group had purchased food gifts from.
has revealed that the convergence           signal of the value of a relationship to     Twenty-nine said they had bought a kiwi
of key trends in diet, food safety and      both the giver and the receiver, helping     food gift in the past year.
health and wellness, plus a thirst for      to define the expectations each has             Brand awareness and food safety
foreign brands, has helped imported         for the outcomes of the relationship.        were the most commonly quoted
foods secure top ranking as the most        Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed       reasons for choosing New Zealand food
common gift of choice for wealthy urban     agreed that reciprocity is a Chinese         as a gift.
Chinese consumers.                          tradition and the higher the price
   This presents a significant commercial   the more dignity and respect a gift          For more details and access to this
opportunity for New Zealand food            represented.                                 research or other Plant & Food
producers if they can create and market         How a gift looks was often cited as      Research-led studies on Asian
products that fit this highly lucrative     a key element in its value. Words like       consumers, contact
niche.                                      ‘classy’ and ‘good taste’ were frequently    insights@plantandfood.co.nz
   Plant & Food Research’s Consumer         mentioned, and ‘exquisite packaging’
and Products insight team were already      was considered a must.
working on Asian consumer food                  Food has long been a traditional gift
attitudes, so this provided a close         in China, particularly during important
research fit. We then brought in global     festivals, and while today it must
market trend experts Mintel to design       compete with fashion goods, alcohol,
and conduct the study.                      cigarettes, cosmetics and consumer
   They gained insights from more than      electronics, it remains the top choice by
2000 Chinese consumers via an online        a wide margin.
survey and focus groups, concentrating          Ninety-eight of the survey
on urban, wealthy Chinese as a key          respondents said they had bought food
target market. The project looked at        as a gift in the past 12 months and 93
both the cultural background for gifting    per cent said half or more of all their
as well as hard data on which foods         gifts were food. They told us they gifted
Chinese consumers want to buy and           food mainly because it was useful and
receive as gifts, and at what price.        suitable for everyone.
   The study found two very distinct            Respondents said an ideal food
social groups within which gifting          gift should look healthy and nutritious
takes place in China. The first was an      (67 per cent), be safe (59 per cent),
inner circle of friends and family, where   have a well-known brand (55 per cent)

                                                                                            Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 9
Seafood NEW ZEALAND A love of seabirds p27 The true cost of recreational parks p36 - August 2016
GET ON BOARD WITH THE
HEALTH AND
SAFETY AT
WORK ACT
Learn more about how the Act
applies to the maritime sector with
Health and Safety: A GUIDE FOR MARINERS

Request your copy by email at:
HSWA@maritimenz.govt.nz
                                          Nō te rere moana Aotearoa
Or you can view it on our website:
www.maritimenz.govt.nz/hswa
NEWS

The power of                               largest certification companies, shows
                                           that 91 per cent say it is important to
                                                                                       Nielsen’s senior vice president,
                                                                                       reputation and public relations
reputation and                             know where their food comes from – 40
                                           per cent say they would pay more for
                                                                                       solutions.
                                                                                           “An excellent reputation makes it far
sustainability                             better information.
                                              A 2014 sales analysis by the Nielsen
                                                                                       more likely a company will be welcomed
                                                                                       into new communities, partner with
Debbie Hannan                              research company showed that brands         respected non-profits working on issues
                                           with a demonstrated commitment to           consumers care about most; and be a
Understanding the connection
                                           sustainability grew over four per cent,     go to source for products and services.
between sentiment and what
                                           while those without saw less than one       And what we know for sure is that
consumers are prepared to pay for is
                                           per cent growth.                            sustainability is playing an increasingly
becoming increasingly relevant for the
                                              A more recent global online survey       significant role in decision making.”
seafood industry.
                                           conducted by Nielsen found that 66 per          The New Zealand seafood industry’s
International research shows the           cent of respondents say they are willing    work to gain accreditation for its
growing value of industry reputation and   to pay more for products and services       fisheries through the internationally
sustainable business practices. People     that come from companies which              recognised not-for-profit Marine
want to buy food from trusted and          are committed to positive social and        Stewardship Council, is a good example
sustainable sources.                       environmental impact, up from 50 per        of this, says Seafood New Zealand Chief
   The global Consumer Goods forum         cent in 2013.                               Executive, Tim Pankhurst.
has said that food safety and consumer        Nielsen polled 30,000 consumers              A survey by SenateSHJ in late 2105
trust are two of the most important        in 60 countries across the globe and        of 150 business leaders across Australia
subjects for consumers and companies       asked them to indicate what factors had     and New Zealand showed that 96 per
today.                                     the most influence on their purchasing      cent of respondents say reputation is
   As the CEO of the retail giant          habits. The most important factors          one of their primary assets, compared
Walmart, Doug McMillon recently            among those surveyed were brand             with only half 10 years ago.
tweeted, “customers want food they can     trust, natural ingredients and health and       More than half those surveyed also
trust”.                                    wellness benefits.                          agree that reputation is harder to
   A survey of 3,043 consumers around         “Brand trust and reputation are          manage than other forms of risk. Six out
the globe by SGS, one of the world’s       paramount,” says Carol Gstalder,            of ten say there has been an increase
                                                                                       in the risks affecting reputation over
                                                                                       the last three years ago and it is more
                                                                                       important to manage now than it was
                                                                                       three years ago.
                                                                                           Achieving social licence and the right
                                                                                       to operate is critical to the ongoing
                                                                                       success of the seafood industry, says
                                                                                       Pankhurst.
                                                                                           Seafood New Zealand has been
                                                                                       working with Nielsen for the past
                                                                                       two years to better understand the
                                                                                       New Zealand public’s perceptions of the
                                                                                       seafood industry. A third annual survey
                                                                                       into the industry’s reputation is being
                                                                                       held later in 2016. An overview of the
                                                                                       2015 survey can be found in the April
                                                                                       2016 Seafood magazine.

                                                                                         Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 11
OPINION

Auckland                                      itself on the sustainable management of
                                              its fisheries and was ranked fourth best
                                                                                          rather than using scientific estimates
                                                                                          such as the NIWA estimates of non-
University                                    on the Corruption Perceptions Index
                                              produced by Transparency International,
                                                                                          landed catch from the deepwater and
                                                                                          midwater trawl sectors, it appears the
catch                                         how did such a result arise?
                                                  Some of the answers lie in what is
                                                                                          Simmons methodology relies heavily on
                                                                                          a “critical reality” approach based on
reconstruction                                and what is not reported in the FAO         308 interviews with a range of “expert”
                                                                                          stakeholders including academics,
– is it science?
                                              statistics and some of the answers lie in
                                              the reliability of the Simmons estimates.   fishing company executives, vessel
                                              FAO Reporting                               officers and crew, former Government
The release of a report on the
                                                                                          officials, former industry representatives
reconstruction of catches from                    FAO requires the reporting only         and scientists and confirmed by other
New Zealand’s marine fisheries,               of those catch statistics where the         supporting material where possible.
lead authored by Glenn Simmons of             information is robust. Commercial               The technique is a valid social
Auckland University, was released in          sector landings have been reported by       science methodology commonly
May this year. Its findings have been         fishers in part or in full for the 1950-    utilised where objective statistics do
questioned by the seafood industry.           2010 period and were reported to            not exist. The approach depends on
Tom Clark, seafood industry policy            FAO. For much of the review period,         the representativeness and knowledge
adviser, provides his insights into the       New Zealand only reported landings by       of the interviewees and the depth of
paper.                                        vessels operating under New Zealand         material supporting the results.
   The New Zealand reconstruction             registration. Landings in New Zealand           A figure of 308 interviews sounds
was part of a worldwide initiative to         waters from vessels from other flag         impressive but the expert factor
estimate the total extractions from the       states were reported by those flag          becomes less robust when over 200 of
world’s seas by the Sea Around Us,            states. Catches by the recreational         the interviews were with Foreign Charter
a marine research institute based at          sector and non-landed catches are           Vessel (FCV) crew members, less than
the University of Columbia, Canada.           not robustly reported to New Zealand        50 were actual fishers and few if any
While the United Nations Food and             and are not reported to FAO. The            experts are currently employed in the
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has            FAO reported catch for New Zealand          seafood sector. Rather than prove the
collected international catch statistics      was only part of the total catch in         representativeness and experience
since 1950, that reporting is based           New Zealand waters.                         of the interviewees, the report paints
only on commercial landings. The Sea              The Sea Around Us datafiles indicate    a fanciful multi-hued picture of the
Around Us project sought to estimate          New Zealand reported 9.1m tonnes of         New Zealand fisheries - littered with
total extractions, landed and caught,         commercial catch and other flag states      excerpts from the interviews including
commercial and recreational, through a        reported catches of 5.9m tonnes.            references to fishermen’s cats eating
series of country-based estimates.            Other Landings and Catches                  unreported catch, fish traded for sex,
   The Sea Around Us reconstructions                                                      dumping when the Government’s
                                                 The following figures are derived
used official statistics where they existed                                               observer’s attention was diverted and so
                                              from the Simmons report and the
and, where necessary, estimated other                                                     on – all entertaining hearsay but hardly
                                              Sea Around Us datafiles but there
catches and landings. Where data was                                                      the stuff to support the estimates in
                                              are inconsistencies between the
missing, the reports generally used                                                       his report. The report contains lengthy
                                              two information sources. The report
country or international research to                                                      passages on a wonderfully wide range
                                              indicates a reported catch of 14 million
supplement the information.                                                               of topics such as conversion factor fraud,
                                              tonnes, unreported catch of 9.2 million
The New Zealand Re-construction                                                           on-board consumption, black market
                                              tonnes and an unreported discard catch
                                                                                          landings, damaged fish, oversized fish,
   The re-construction estimated that         of 14.3 million tonnes.
                                                                                          undersized fish, lack of hold space
New Zealand’s catches for the 1950-2010          The estimated invisible landings and
                                                                                          and quota restrictions – all designed
period were 2.7 times (a total of 38.1m       unreported commercial catch together
                                                                                          to demonstrate the knowledge of the
tonnes) the amount reported to FAO            exceed the reported catch. But how
                                                                                          authors but sadly lacking a factual basis
(14.0m tonnes). To put this in context,       robust are the figures for invisible
                                                                                          that might result in robust estimates
of the 247 catch reconstructions,             landings and discarded catch?
                                                                                          of unreported catch. The report also
New Zealand’s reporting integrity                The report does not provide a
                                                                                          includes findings from a small number
ranked fifth to last, with only Haiti,        robust detailed description of the
                                                                                          of Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
Guinea-Bissau, French Guiana and              methodology that was used to inform
                                                                                          compliance investigations into specific
Cambodia behind it and with nations           those estimates. Unlike other country
                                                                                          issues. There is a great deal of verbiage
such as Zaire, Somalia, Ghana, ranking        analyses which use available scientific
                                                                                          but very little fact.
ahead of it. For a nation which prides        information or international studies and
                                                                                              The Simmons estimates of

12 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
OPINION

New Zealand catch have then been             –– Changes to the levels of reported       for the major deepwater fisheries,
attributed to fishing nations, fishing          catches between iterations; and         calculates that, for the same 20 year
sectors and species. Recently Sea             –– Changes to species caught.             period, discarded catch formed less
Around Us provided an updated                   The FAO does not report recreational    than seven percent of the fish caught
attribution. Those attributions have        or customary catch or discards.             in the major deepwater fisheries
included:                                       No-one would deny that unreported       which together make up 80 per cent
  –– Changes to the level of catch          catch occurred in the past and to a         of the New Zealand’s reported catch.
     for species, years and nations         lesser extent still occurs today but are    Which to believe – the scientific or the
     previously reported to FAO;            the Simmons’ results credible or not?       pontificated?
 –– An annual average of 110 tonnes of      Making an allowance for recreational            Simmons refers to using a critical
    orange roughy catch attributed to       and customary catch, the Simmons            reality approach to the estimates. Until
    the recreational sector since 1950;     report indicates that unreported catch      Simmons releases his methodology
                                            for the commercial sector has been          and the material he used to inform
 –– An annual average discard of 20,00
                                            in the order of 57 per cent of the fish     the estimates, we can only assume it
    tonnes of commercial orange
                                            caught for the period from 1950 to 2010     relates to another reality but certainly
    roughy catch since 1950 compared
                                            and 65 per cent in the last 20 years of     not the New Zealand reality. Or maybe
    with an annual reported catch of
                                            that period. By contrast, NIWA which        there were recreational fishers in 1950
    10,000 tonnes;
                                            routinely analyses unreported catch         catching 123 tonnes of orange roughy?

Kermadec                                    are also enthusiastic contestants – the
                                            UK, for example, trumpets its plan to
Ocean                                       protect the oceans around its overseas
                                            territories as “the biggest conservation
Sanctuary: the                              commitment by any government ever,
                                            pledging to protect an area of ocean
global contest                              three-and-a-half times the size of

to establish
                                            Britain”.
                                                The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary

large MPAs                                  is one of at least 21 ‘large MPAs’ or
                                            MPA networks recently proposed or
Nici Gibbs                                  established in the world’s oceans.
                                                What’s driving the contest?
                                                The Kermadec Sanctuary was
                                                                                        Johnston Atoll, a former US military air base is
When Prime Minister John Key                heavily promoted by US-based Pew            also the site of the world’s largest MPA.
announced to the United Nations             Charitable Trusts, reflecting the global
General Assembly that New Zealand           trend of wealthy US and UK-based            for large MPAs. Distant northern
would establish a large no-take             environmental NGOs campaigning              hemisphere nations such as the United
marine protected area (MPA) around          to establish large MPAs in other            Kingdom, the United States and
the Kermadec Islands, he adopted            countries. At the same time, NGOs are       France are busy establishing large
the language of a competitor in a           advocating for the protection of 30 per     MPAs around their remote ocean
global contest to close off the largest     cent of global ocean habitats from all      territories and claiming these areas as
possible areas of ocean.                    extractive activities (the current target   their national contribution to global
                                            is 10 per cent). With targets of this       marine protection, while leaving their
John Key claimed that the 620,000 sq
                                            magnitude, it’s not surprising that many    own coasts available for utilisation. The
km sanctuary would be “one of the
                                            governments are readily persuaded that      focus on remote islands also means that
world’s largest and most significant” and
                                            a larger MPA is a better MPA.               MPAs are established not in areas where
would cover an area “twice the size of
                                                It’s also not surprising that – as      they might be needed to manage
our landmass and 50 times the size of
                                            illustrated by Pew with the Kermadec        threats to marine biodiversity – but
our largest national park in Fiordland”
                                            islands – small islands with large          in areas like the Kermadecs that are
including “the world’s longest
                                            Exclusive Economic Zones are                relatively pristine and where biodiversity
underwater volcanic arc and the second
                                            frequently targeted as candidate sites      is not threatened.
deepest ocean trench”. Other nations

                                                                                          Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 13
OPINION

    Given these pressures, Pacific states    areas of ocean in which vessel traffic can   established MPA networks in the world
such as New Zealand are particularly         be constrained and closely monitored.        are New Zealand’s Benthic Protection
vulnerable to MPA campaigns. In a            Examples include Johnston and Wake           Area (BPA) network (1,718,765 sq km)
global context the Pacific is grossly        Atolls (the two largest no-take MPAs         and the US’s Pacific Remote Islands
over-represented in large MPAs – of the      in the world) which are administered         Marine National Monument (1,269,065
established MPAs, 97 per cent by area        by US defence agencies, Ascension            sq km). If the Kermadec Sanctuary is
are located in the Pacific Ocean.            Island which hosts a mid-Atlantic            established as proposed, it will be the
    With a few exceptions, motivations       airfield shared by UK and US forces,         single largest MPA as well as the largest
for establishing large MPAs seldom           and the Chagos Archipelago in the            ‘no-take’ MPA in the world. However,
relate to protecting representative or       Indian Ocean. The UK-designated              it won’t increase New Zealand’s
special areas of marine biodiversity         MPA surrounding the Chagos Islands           contribution to global MPA targets as
(although biodiversity protection may be     was overturned by a United Nations           the Sanctuary, in its entirety, overlies an
a side-benefit). Instead, MPAs are often     Convention on the Law of the Sea             area of ocean already protected by the
adopted as a substitute for effective        (UNCLO) arbitral tribunal in 2015, but       BPA network.
fisheries management – reflecting            not before leaked cables between UK              Unfortunately for the planet’s oceans,
the failure of Regional Fisheries            and US officials revealed that the MPA       the competition to establish the world’s
Management Organisations to agree on         was a ploy to prevent the return of the      largest MPA has little to do with marine
management measures and the lack of          Islands’ original inhabitants who were       biodiversity protection. Effective marine
domestic fisheries enforcement capacity      displaced in the 1960s to make way for a     protection requires clear biodiversity
in small island nations.                     US military base.                            protection objectives and targeted
    It’s no coincidence that islands             Who’s winning?                           management of the real threats to
within large MPAs are often of strategic         When announcing the Kermadec             biodiversity – attributes that are
military importance to the designating       Ocean Sanctuary, John Key may not            cheerfully discarded when the global
government. It serves the interests of       have realised that New Zealand was           contest is framed around the simplistic
these governments to establish large         already leading the pack. The largest        measure of the size of MPAs.

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14 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
COVER
                                 NEWS
                                    FEATURE

30 years of QMS -
fisheries for the future

                 Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 15
INSIGHT #64

                                           IN CHINA, KNOWING

          YOUR FOOD
                                               COMES FROM A

                           TRUSTED
                           SOURCE
                              IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE

                     China’s urban consumers actively research the provenance of their
                    food. Providing clear, accessible information on the origin and safety
                      standards used in the production of your food products is one of
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                     one of many invaluable local insights ANZ is able to identify for our
                      clients. To find out how your business can benefit from ANZ’s
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                     anz.co.nz
16 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
  ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited 06/16   18109
COVER FEATURE

 “ This programme of work is about refreshing
   and improving our fisheries management
                                                 “
       system, not replacing it

The QMS now                                      so important to the success of the
                                                 seafood industry. Not only does it
                                                                                                      Work is already underway on
                                                                                                 installing electronic monitoring and
and for the                                      allow for sustainable management,
                                                 but it demonstrates to markets and
                                                                                                 cameras on all commercial fishing
                                                                                                 vessels across New Zealand, and earlier
future                                           consumers that we are managing our
                                                 resources wisely.
                                                                                                 this year I signalled to my officials that
                                                                                                 this work should be fast-tracked.
                                                     It is an important part of the industry’s        This increased monitoring will
                                                 social licence to operate - producing           provide greater transparency and
                                                 our products sustainably, bringing the          improve public and market confidence
                                                 community with us, and earning their            that our fisheries are being well
                                                 respect and understanding.                      managed.
                                                     A good example of this is Precision              While the QMS has been recognised
                                                 Seafood Harvesting, a $48 million               as world leading, this is no excuse
                                                 joint project in which industry and             for resting on our laurels. Last year I
                                                 Government has been developing                  announced an operational review of our
                                                 revolutionary new net technology.               fisheries management system to ensure
                                                 Undersized fish escape through                  it is up to date and working efficiently
                                                 specifically designed slots and fish            and fairly.
                                                 arrive onboard in pristine condition. Any            While the fundamentals of our
                                                 unintended catch can be returned to the         QMS are sound, the review will look
                                                 sea with a much higher survivability rate.      at possible changes to fisheries
                                                     This is part of the Primary Growth          management processes, regulatory
The Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy   Partnership and involves Sealord,               change, and amendments to the
                                                 Sanford, Aotearoa Fisheries Limited and         Fisheries Act.
                                                 MPI. The programme is expected to                    This programme of work is about
Hon Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary
                                                 deliver around $44 million in economic          refreshing and improving our fisheries
Industries.
                                                 benefits per year by 2025, and it has           management system, not replacing it.
The 30th anniversary of the Quota                already won numerous accolades                  The long term aim is to deliver greater
Management System is a good                      including Supreme Innovator award at            net value to all sectors – commercial,
opportunity to celebrate the success of          the New Zealand Innovators Awards in            recreational and customary, while
New Zealand’s seafood industry, and              2014.                                           enhancing the sustainability of our
at the same time look ahead to future                Earlier this year ‘Tiaki’ was launched      fisheries.
opportunities.                                   as a result. Customers around the world              The review won’t undermine existing
    Recently the Ministry for Primary            will know when they see this label that         rights and interests of commercial,
Industries released their Situation              the fish has been sustainably caught            customary and recreational fishers,
Outlook for the Primary Industries, which        and carefully selected, and will also           Treaty settlements or core elements of
shows seafood exports have reached               be able to use their smartphone to see          the QMS. It also won’t be getting into
nearly $1.8 billion for the year to June         where and how their fish was caught via         the detail of things like bag limits or
2016 – a rise of 15 per cent from the            a specially designed traceability app.          quotas. The current sustainability rounds
previous year.                                       As well as the economic benefits,           and other work programmes by MPI will
    As a Government we’ve set a goal             ‘Tiaki’ will have real benefits for             continue.
of doubling the value of primary sector          New Zealand’s reputation as a producer               Later this year the Government will
exports by 2025. It’s an ambitious target        of premium, high quality, sustainable           release a public discussion document on
but one that has been adopted by                 products.                                       any proposed changes to our fisheries
many industry groups, including the                  Social licence is also a driver for MPI’s   management system, and I’m looking
aquaculture industry which is targeting          rollout of monitoring equipment on              forward to everyone’s feedback on this.
$1 billion in sales by 2025.                     commercial fishing vessels to increase               We should all be proud of the QMS.
    Achieving this goal is all about             public transparency. By and large, the          While it is considered a world leading
adding value to what we produce,                 industry has recognised the importance          system we need everybody’s input to
because we clearly can’t just double the         of this and shown leadership by driving         continue to drive the economic and
volume of what we take from the sea.             the installation of cameras on the              environmental sustainability of the
    This is why the QMS has been                 Snapper 1 trawl fleet.                          seafood sector.

                                                                                                   Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 17
COVER FEATURE

                       “         As someone who has been involved with the QMS since
                                 its inception, I have personally observed great progress in
                                                                       “
                                 New Zealand’s fisheries management and innovations in
                                 science to support this

Celebrating                                  that show steady and increasing levels
                                             of abundance in each of our main fish
                                                                                          our laurels, while celebrating our
                                                                                          success, we are very focused on the
30 years of                                  stocks. Of the 157 stocks of known
                                             status in New Zealand, 83 per cent
                                                                                          future and constantly bringing in
                                                                                          new improvements. Industry and the
sound science                                are above the sustainable limits set
                                             by Government. This is 97 per cent of
                                                                                          Ministry for Primary Industries are
                                                                                          developing improved trawl harvesting
and prudent                                  our annual catch of more than 420,000        techniques, improved scientific

fisheries
                                             tonnes.                                      assessments, improved monitoring
                                                 As someone who has been involved         methods and improved assurances for

management                                   with the QMS since its inception, I have
                                             personally observed great progress in
                                                                                          our customers, so that they can continue
                                                                                          to buy our sustainable seafood with
                                             New Zealand’s fisheries management           confidence. In 2015 Industry accepted
George Clement, Chairman Seafood             and innovations in science to support        the Government’s aspirational goal of
New Zealand                                  this.                                        doubling export revenues by 2025 and
                                                 Hoki as a good example of how            we are on the growth path to achieve
                                             fisheries stocks fluctuate, how science      this.
This year New Zealand celebrates             can be used to monitor and model
30 years of the Quota Management             these changes and, in combination            Footnote: George Clement played
System (QMS), a fisheries system             with responsive management, how this         a key role in the development and
that was world-leading when it was           results in a productive and sustainable      implementation of New Zealand’s
established, and continues to stand          fishery. The hoki fisheries were the first   Quota Management System (QMS)
the test of time.                            in New Zealand, and the first white-         between 1983 and 1987 while working
                                             fish fishery in the world, to achieve the    in the Fisheries Management Division
Prudent stewardship of our fisheries,
                                             prestigious Marine Stewardship Council       for the former Ministry of Agriculture
underpinned by sound science are the
                                             (MSC) certification for sustainability in    and Fisheries (MAF).
cornerstones of the QMS.
                                             2001 and has remained certified for 15           He had a direct involvement with the
   As John Connelly, President of the
                                             years.                                       development of the original concepts,
National Fisheries Institute, United
                                                 Over the following pages you will        the policies and legislation, was the
States of America, says good fisheries
                                             read more about the science and              lead person in consultation with
decisions start with good science.
                                             fisheries management measures that sit       industry and with the implementation
   The Ministry for Primary Industries
                                             behind the success of the QMS.               and early operation of the QMS, both
has decades of peer-reviewed science
                                                 But this isn’t about resting on          within government and subsequently in

18 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 4
COVER FEATURE

Tough                                          introduction of the
                                               QMS – especially
decisions led to                               our rock lobster
                                               and snapper stocks.
fisheries’ good                                Orange roughy
                                               now has several
health                                         stocks rebuilding
                                               to levels that are
Shelton Harley, Manager Fisheries
                                               globally recognised
Science, Ministry for Primary
                                               as sustainable. Our
Industries
                                               system can work,
Fish eyes the size of grapefruit are           but it takes time and
probably my most vivid recollection of         robust science. We
the time before the QMS came in – my           are always looking
father was fishing East Cape on the            to improve and a                             Shelton Harley
Sunniva. I recall watching them unload         current focus within MPI is to develop
their catch including bass with heads          innovative ways to better assess and
                                               manage some of the ‘next-level’ stocks       expectations into levels of abundance
like letterboxes.
                                               which significantly contribute to our        which reflect targets (i.e., abundance of
With this heritage it is not surprising        overall fisheries picture.                   fish we want in the water) and limits (i.e.,
that fisheries have played a big role in           Public interest in the New Zealand       lower abundance of fish we don’t want
my family. I embarked down the path of         marine area has grown dramatically           to get close to) that can be used to help
marine science while my two younger            – as a country we care deeply about          manage these stocks. I look forward
brothers each spent a decade within            making sure there are enough fish in         to being involved in discussions such
fisheries – one as a fisheries officer and     the sea for the future. Globally people      as those occurring with the Guardians
the other as a commercial fisher.              who consume New Zealand seafood              of Fiordland, ‘Te Korowai’ Coastal
    Fisheries science has taken me to          are more interested in questions of          Guardians of Kaikoura, and within the
the Gulf of Alaska, Atlantic Canada, and       sustainability.                              Hauraki Gulf.
around more than a dozen Pacific Island            One of the ways this is manifesting is       My top two science needs for the
countries, but my heart has always been        increasing calls and expectations around     future are smart people, and more easily
for New Zealand fisheries and those            an “ecosystem approach to fisheries          accessible information. I genuinely
people who rely upon them – whether it         management (EAFM)” and local                 believe we need as many good minds
be for employment, enjoyment, food or          community engagement in fisheries            working in fisheries science as we can
cultural significance.                         issues.                                      get and we need to increasingly reach
    From this journey I am convinced               I would argue that New Zealand’s         out to universities and other researchers.
that the current good health of the            fisheries management regime is not           Students need to be involved working
majority of New Zealand’s fisheries            just a “single-species management            on real problems with real data.
can be attributed to some very tough           system”, but incorporates the key                We need to fully embrace electronic
decisions (around the introduction of          elements of an ecosystem approach.           tools for collecting and verifying
the QMS) and an investment in great            We have conservative catch limits            fisheries data. Considerable resources
fisheries science, scientists, and fisheries   for some forage species and specific         are spent entering, reviewing and
managers over the past 30 years. Before        management plans around the impacts          correcting data – not only is this
the QMS was introduced New Zealand             of fishing on the seafloor, sharks,          inefficient, but it also leads to delays
had too much fishing capacity and if we        seabirds, and marine mammals.                in the availability of the information to
had moved to more traditional methods          The current fisheries review MPI is          inform fisheries management and the
of capacity or effort limitations I believe    undertaking provides the opportunity         public. Rolling out electronic reporting
we would now be experiencing many of           to ensure that New Zealand fish stocks       solutions for New Zealand’s fisheries
the issues seen elsewhere in the world,        and their broader marine ecosystem           as part of the Integrated Electronic
such as fishing seasons measured in            are globally recognised as sustainably       Monitoring and Reporting (IEMRS)
days or even hours!                            managed.                                     project will have real benefits for
    Today more than 95 per cent of                 New Zealanders are increasingly          New Zealand fisheries.
the stocks that we can assess have no          articulating expectations for what               I look forward to working with
sustainability concerns at the Quota           they expect from fisheries, e.g., why        scientists and other stakeholders
Management Area level. We have good            am I catching less fish in my favourite      to continue to build upon the
news stories about stocks that have            fishing spot. As a scientist a key role      strong international reputation that
recovered or are recovering since the          in the process is to transform these         New Zealand has for our fisheries.

                                                                                              Seafood New Zealand | August 2016 | 19
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