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Focus on Electronic Monitoring

There’s been a lot of talk about electronic monitoring lately. This monitoring can come in many different forms: vessel monitoring systems (VMS), electronic data reporting and cameras.

Like all technology, this is a tool. Where there is a management need identified and some form of electronic monitoring provides a better and/or cheaper solution, the industry will likely be onboard. However, such technology can be expensive and invasive; particular cameras on vessels. I’ll wager there would be few kiwis that would be happy to be filmed every minute they were at work. As such, application of this technology needs very careful thought, it needs a compelling reason, and it needs the appropriate safeguards to control access to that information and protect people’s privacy.

If the benefits of new technology are going to be realised, its application can’t be forced on fishers. It can’t be a solution looking for a problem. As can be seen from the two stories that feature this week, industry is embracing this new technology when it considers it provides an appropriate solution.

Sanford welcomes greater transparency with cameras on all SNA 1 trawlers

Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nathan Guy, congratulated snapper trawl fishers for their commitment to delivering greater transparency and science across the snapper one fishery with the aid of electronic monitoring (cameras).

The snapper one fishery (SNA 1) stretches the length of the east coast of the North Island, from the far north to the bottom of the Bay of Plenty, and is one of the largest and most valuable fisheries in New Zealand.

Sanford CEO, Volker Kuntzsch welcomed the move to electronic (camera) observers saying it was important that the industry has transparency around monitoring of fish stocks.

“There is nothing more important to us than having a healthy fishery. Creating this level of transparency means that the fishers working on the water and consumers enjoying a meal of snapper can feel good about the sustainability of our fish stocks. A lot of effort has been invested into understanding exactly how many fish commercial fishers take.”

The cameras, or electronic observers, verify that fishers are accurately reporting and recording numbers of snapper under 25cm in length which legally have to be returned to the sea.

“This is another proactive fisheries management tool. We already record information around each fishing event – including top seven species, weight and any undersized fish returned to the sea. What this system will do is visually verify that we are recording and reporting this data to an auditable science standard”, Kuntzsch says.

Cameras on board a trawler in the snapper one fishery verifying the fishers catch reporting. To watch the video click here.

Coromandel Scallops

TAC and TACC Sustainability Decisions Announced

Hon Nathan Guy recently announced that the TAC for Coromandel scallops (SCA CS) would reduce from 131 to 81 tonnes and the TACC would reduce from 100 to 50 tonnes as of 1 April 2016. He announced there were no changes to the current deemed rates for SCA CS.

The Minister noted that further work was being undertaken on the long term management of the stock.

Bill Moore reported that the Minister is expecting an approximate $3 million increase in commercial revenue following the increase in TACC to Surf clams in the following fisheries: PDO 7 deepwater tuatua from 50 to 184 tonnes, triangle shell (SAE 7) from 112 to 217 tonnes, large trough shell (MMI 7) from 61 to 131 tonnes and ringed dosinia (DAN 7) from 15 to 120 tonnes.

Other decisions included rock lobster CRA4 TAC was reduced from 662 to 592 tonnes and CRA 5 was increased in TAC from 467 to 514 tonnes.

Dr Helson says that while FINZ and industry were supportive of a decrease in the SCA CS fishery it was disappointing to see that the Minister had chosen to take such a conservative approach and that he and others looked forward to being involved in future shared fisheries discussions.

Sanctuary leads to Court Action

Radio Waatea recently reported that Labour's Fisheries spokesperson Rino Tirikatene was frustrated that Te Ohu Kaimoana was forced to take supreme court action due to the extinguished fishing rights held by iwi under the Maori fisheries settlement with the Prime Minister and National parties decision to create a 620,000 square kilometre ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands.

Maori Fisheries Conference
This year's conference is being held on 30 March 2016 at the Novotel Hotel Auckland International Airport.

The conference theme is "Our Story, Our Values" which celebrates Maori seafood businesses and explores the potential of the Maori brand.

For more information visit the conference website here.

Seabird and Cameras

Snapper longline fishermen in northern New Zealand want to show the public that their operations are not putting seabirds at risk and have recently taken part in the trial of on-board cameras, which they hope will help them prove this.

A recent trial on a vessel that fishes for Aotearoa Fisheries found that cameras can detect around 90% of seabirds caught on snapper longline hooks.

The trial, which was a joint effort between the local fishing industry, DOC and MPI, was prompted because of the presence of a rare seabird that overlaps with the snapper and bluenose longline fleet. Black petrels breed on Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands and only 2700 breeding pairs remain.

The Department of Conservation funded the trial. “It's vital to collect this data, and it can't be done without the support and engagement of the fishing community,” says Meg Poutasi, DOC Partnerships Manager. “We are keen to help the fishing industry demonstrate their efforts are working, and support them where we can”.

Aotearoa Fisheries fisherman Adam Clow jumped at the chance to be involved in a trial. “I want to be transparent and show that what we’re doing is sustainable.” says Adam. “It’s a case of: if we are as good as we say we are, we need to prove it.”

The trial used fake seabirds woven out of flax, and these were attached to hooks at random times during normal line setting. A camera recorded the line being hauled on board and the footage was later reviewed blind – without the reviewer knowing how many seabird fakes were added to the line.

“There is a lot of potential for technology to support improved information gathering in our fisheries” says Dave Turner, Director Fisheries Management, at MPI. “It is very encouraging to see fishers so eager to be involved in developing innovative approaches”.

Trident Systems, which is a Limited Partnership of quota owners, provided the camera and carried out the trial.
Southern Seabird Solutions Trust is a collaborative alliance between Seafood New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, Te Ohu Kaimoana and WWF-NZ.

Have a happy and safe Easter.
From your Inshore Fisheries New Zealand team.