Fishing boom... fishing bust...a cautionary tale

Forest and Bird, Volume 21, Issue 2, 1 May 1990, Page 26

Fishing boom... fishing bust...a cautionary tale

by

Mark Feldman

T WAS 1973 and a young American tourist was hitch-hiking around the Far North. On a fateful day in March the young man got out of a car in Mangonui, thanked the driver for the ride, and headed for the youth hostel at the "Old Oak’. After checking in at the hostel he took a fishing rod, a reel, and a small box of lures from his pack. The fishing gear was well worn because it had been heavily used. Though only in his twenties the hitch-hiker was an experienced fisherman. He had used his little rod to catch fish for his meals all over the world. As he walked around the harbour towards the Mangonui wharf he watched the water with care. His experienced eyes examined the terns diving into the water to capture tiny anchovy forced up by the fish feeding below. By watching the splashes in the water he could see that the feeding fish were probably less than 30cm long but were fast moving carnivores. He picked a lure that could imitate the anchovy he saw in the tern’s beaks and Cast it out into the area of the disturbed water. Within seconds he hooked one of the fast moving hunters and quickly discovered that these fish were hard fighters which jumped often and did not give up until totally exhausted. He was impressed by the fish but saw that it was quite small so released it and cast out again. He caught and released several of the fish before he began to see that they were all about the same size. Since the water was shallow he concluded that the fish were young and there must be bigger ones about, perhaps in other schools outside the harbour. A local passing by told him that the fish he was catching were called "kahawai" and did, indeed, grow much bigger. The tourist continued on his way to the wharf to see what could be observed from a higher vantage point. Though no novice to fishing the young American was amazed by what he saw from the wharf. In the water below he could see small mullet and mackerel swimming in the tidal flows. The schools were bunched tightly, as if to protect them-

selves from attack by predators. The little fish were nervous and moved evasively every time a gull’s shadow passed over.

Shimmering Geysers

But the show really started when the schooling mullet were attacked from the water underneath them. The young fish erupted from the water like living, shimmering geysers as they desperately tried to escape from the marauding fish below. The American gazed in awe as he watched the schools of kingfish slash through the hapless mullet, picking out the weak and unwary for their next meal.

The kingfish were big. The ones travelling in schools ranged from 10 to 15 kgs. These were the fish that were hunting together to improve their chances of success. There were other, bigger kingfish which seemed to be travelling alone. They were much more experienced hunters and seemed to be able to feed on their own successfully. These solitary kingfish were much larger, some running up to 30 or 40 kgs in size. They were easily seen as they attacked the surface-feed-ing kahawai which the American had been catching with his lures. The scene on the wharf made an indelible

impression on the tourist from America. Not even Alaska or the Great Barrier Reef had ever produced such a display of sea life so close to shore. New Zealand had a resource of great value here. He could easily imagine sport fishermen coming from all over the world to pursue such large and powerful predators. But the next morning the hitchhiker would see something even more impressive, something that would change his life forever. At dawn he got up, grabbed his fishing gear and binoculars, and walked to the top of the Pa that looked out over Mangonui Harbour and all of Doubtless Bay. By the time he made his way to the top the sun was well up, shimmering in the early morning light. As he scanned the seemingly calm water he began to realize that there were flocks of birds everywhere. With his binoculars he saw that the whole inner bay was alive with fish. As far as he could see there were schools of kahawai feeding on the surface with flocks of gulls, terns and shearwaters filling the sky above them. The American was exhilarated by the tremendous concentration of living things within his view. Wouldn't it be wonderful, he thought, to be able to live in a place like this, that was so full of life and beauty.

Cries Unheeded

The years passed and the young man returned to America to resume his career. While he was away the New Zealand Government continued to encourage the commercial development of fishing. Because of cheap Government loans and tax incentives, both individuals and large companies took to the sea. By the late 1970s insightful scientists and fishermen were beginning to warn the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) that the fishery was in rapid decline and needed to be protected, but their cries went unheeded. Unfortunately, MAF’s role had always been to accelerate the exploitation of New Zealand's limited supply of fish. With a mini-

mal scientific staff and a history of close relationships with the commercial sector, MAF was not interested in conservation. But the inshore fishery continued to decline and within a few years the majority of commercial fishermen were complaining of a rapidly declining fishery. While the bureaucrats at MAF procrastinated, our American tourist was back at home developing his business and raising a family with his kiwi wife. During the long American winters he thought often of Mangonui and its glorious sea life. Finally, in 1980, he was able to take an extended vacation. The family packed their bags and headed for New Zealand. While his wife and children spent time with their grandparents in Auckland the American fisherman drove north to Mangonui. Doubtless Bay was as beautiful as ever and the kingfish still swam by the Mangonui wharf. Out in the bay the kahawai were schooling but some things seemed to have changed. The first thing he noticed was the marked increase in the number of commercial fishing boats. Trawlers and long-liners seemed to be everywhere. The wharf was the centre of activity, with trays of snapper, kingfish, trevally, hapuka and school sharks being unloaded daily. There were changes in the water too. The kingfish swimming under the wharf were smaller in size than he remembered. Out in the bay the kahawai still fed voraciously on the anchovy but the schools were not so large and there were fewer of them. There were not so many birds around either.

Bribes Received

The visiting tourist was puzzled but decided it was just a trick of memory. After all, he was a young man full of imagination when he first visited Mangonui and his memories could have been coloured over the years. But he was very conscious of how rapidly a fishery could decline because of the unfortunate nature of the American experience. He remembered how the American fishery managers had allowed several of their most important species to be depleted because of the bribes they had received from commercial interests. The big fishing companies were not interested in managing the resource for the long term. They wanted to make big money now, get out of the fishery and invest that cash elsewhere. Paying off a few fishery managers was a minor expense considering all the fast money that could be made and invested for additional profit. But the American naively decided that kiwis were different and were smart enough to have profited from the mistakes of other nations. Surely they would not allow greed and bureaucratic bungling to destroy their fishery. These discomforting thoughts passed quickly, just like his month of sport fishing in Mangonui. The wonderful weather, beautiful countryside, delightful people and good sport fishing combined to give him an idea. Why not give up life in America, sell the business, and come to live in Mangonui? He loved fishing and surely life was too short not to take advantage of the joys fishing in the Far North had to offer. He returned to the United States thinking Kiwis were part of a society which put the long term management of their environment ahead of short term commercial

greed. Unfortunately he was wrong, and events in Wellington were to prove it. By 1983 fishermen all over New Zealand were complaining about the declining fishery. MAF clearly had to do something but it took until 1986 for the TAC (Total Allowable Catch) — ITQ (Individual Transferable Quota) system to be introduced. Under this system fishery scientists would determine the maximum tonnage of each species that could be safely harvested annually. This is the TAC. The TAC is then divided up into individual quotas. These quotas would be based on catch histories. So the fishermen who had caught the most fish in the past would get the’ most

quota in the future. In other words, the fishermen who had made the most profit in the past and done the most to deplete the fishery would receive the largest share of the future fishery! The quotas would also be transferable. That is, the Government would give these quotas to the fishermen to be used, or sold, as they saw fit. The implications were obvious. The large fishing companies which had been operating the wasteful pair trawlers would get most of the quota. The individual long liners would get much less quota, usually not enough to stay in business. To reduce the total catch

MAF then bought back quota from the commercial fishermen who were willing to sell it. Since many individual fishermen received too little quota to stay in business they sold what they had back to MAF and quit fishing. The bottom line was that the New Zealand taxpayer ended up paying off a lot of individual fishermen in order to reduce the competition for the big companies which had received most of the quota! Even the most naive observer could only conclude that MAF and the big fishing companies had a cozy relationship! Four years before the Quota System came into effect our American tourist had moved his family to Mangonui and begun sport fishing in earnest. He bought an aluminium dinghy and spent at least three mornings a week fishing the waters around Doubtless Bay. He primarily fished for sport and close to shore so the powerful pelagic fish like kahawai and kingfish were his main interest. By the time the Quota System came into effect (1986) he was on intimate terms with the rhythms of the sea. Because of the time and effort he put into learning about the kahawai and kingfish he was able to catch fish on those days when most casual fishermen could not. Luckily for them, his family was almost always able to have a meal of fish in the evening.

Favourite Fish Declining

It was clear to the American that his favourite fish were declining in numbers at an alarming rate. Although the Quota System clearly worked to the advantage of the big companies, was difficult to enforce and would produce a lucrative black market, he was relieved to see some controls introduced. Because the Quota System would reduce the East Coast snapper catch by 34 percent, the use of wasteful pair trawlers would come to an end and most snapper fishing would be done by long liners producing a catch of higher quality and value. This meant that the kingfish, which were taken by pair trawlers in great numbers, would receive some protection. But there were flaws with the Quota System that outweighed this small advantage. Many small fishermen who had small or even negligible quotas wanted to keep fishing. Since the Quota System only protected some species, the obvious targets were the unprotected kahawai, kingfish and other reef dwelling species. For the individual fisherman, gill nets were clearly the way to go. By laying gill nets around reef areas and harbour channels, commercial fishermen could take these species in large numbers. MAF actually encouraged the practice by issuing new licenses to just about anyone who wanted them! In keeping with their traditional inability to predict the obvious MAF was AGAIN encouraging boom-and-bust fishing. The hapless kahawai were highly vulnerable to purse seiners as well as gill nets. Kahawai almost always feed and travel in large groups. During certain periods of the year and in certain areas very large schools form and these are easily seen by spotter planes. The purse seiners then steam out to the school, encircle them with their net and winch the kahawai in by the tonne! The executives who ran the big fishing corporations were no fools. They knew that MAF would bring kahawai into the Quota System within a few years. When they were made a

quota species the amount of quota any fisherman received would be based on the previous three season's catch. Basing quota on the previous three year’s catch was a particularly insipid MAF policy that achieved nothing but considerable waste and false interest in the fishery. It would have been far wiser to announce, in 1986, that kahawai would be brought into the Quota System within a few years and quota allocation would be based on catch histories up to 1986! Realizing how foolish MAF policy was, the executives at X, Y and Z companies knew that they could maximize their long term profits by securing the most quota. That meant they had to catch as many kahawai as they could until the time MAF declared it a quota species, even if it was not profitable! So by 1986 the race for quota was on. It did not matter to these executives or MAF that these valuable sport fish would end up as fish meal for pig food or Australian cray bait. All that mattered was the race for a quota!

Seen It Before

Because our American tourist had seen it all before he was able to predict all these developments with ease. Despite a multitude of letters to luminaries like Moyle, Moore and Lange, nothing was done. The press showed some interest in the problem. Warren Berryman did a series of investigative articles for the Auckland Star. His articles made clear what a financial boon the Quota System was for the big fishing companies. The New Zealand Herald wisely pointed out in an editorial that the Quota System had no hope of

providing effective fisheries management without additional regulation. The Top Half show dispatched a team to Mangonui and did a show on the depletion of the kahawai in Doubtless Bay and the illegal commercial fishing in Parengarenga Harbour. But all this activity had no effect on the bureaucrats in Wellington. MAF officials did not seem interested in preventing depletion of the fishery. They dismissed the growing complaints of the recreational sector as unscientific hearsay. They also ignored the fact that recreational fishermen, using rod and reel, could detect the decline of a fishery long before their commercial friends who used mass fishing techniques like purse seine nets. MAF policy appeared to be to wait until the commercial fishermen were crying about the decline of a species and then do something. Or, in the words of a former director of fisheries research, Duncan Waugh, the actions of MAF are usually "too little and too late." By 1988 other voices were being raised around the country. Even casual sport fishermen were able to see that the kahawai and kingfish were disappearing. Gill nets seemed to be plucking the kingfish off every reef on the North Island. Purse seiners were cleaning the kahawai out of the Bay of Plenty and even dared to invade the Hauraki Gulf: a move that infuriated Auckland-based sport fishermen. Conditions for shore-based and small boat sport fishermen had deteriorated from bad to worse. The only bright spots were a slight improvement in the numbers of snapper and

What the tourist would like to see done

he National Policy for Marine Recreational Fisheries reflects New Zealand law when it states: "Where a species of fish is not sufficiently abundant to support both commercial and non-commercial fishing, preference will be given to non-commercial fishing." MAF has not enforced the law or this policy. If it was, the following things would be done NOW to restore the populations of our kingfish and kahawai. 1. To avoid future mistakes MAF needs the maximum amount of information on the stocks of sport fish. Given financial restraints, the best way to get accurate information is by polling recreational fishermen. Studies around the world have shown clearly that recreational fishermen detect a declining fishery first and are almost always accurate in their assessments. These polls can be conducted at fishing contests, by phone and through New Zealand's two fishing papers. MAF’s history of relying on the data supplied by commercial sources is a grave error. These sources are highly biased for two reasons: A. Financial executives of large fishing companies know that fishing out a highly valued species will lead to a maximum short term profit that can be invested elsewhere. Such profits make their corporate image look good but is a threat to our children’s fishery. Information supplied by their lobbyists will be deeply biased. B. Fishermen who use mass fishing tech-

niques like purse seiners guided by spotter planes can actually fish out the last school of an aggregating species without realizing what they have done. 2. New Zealand needs a ban on the use of gill nets by amateurs and commercial fishermen. The only exceptions would be for mullet and flounder fishermen who would have to use nets no higher than about one metre, and for amateur fishermen using hand held nets to catch baits. Mullet and flounder fishermen should have to man their nets. Nets left for extended periods are wasteful and the bycatch of parore and trevally in nets left overnight is significant. Banning gill nets would decrease the kingfish catch by about 50 percent, save birds and reef ecosystems from destruction, and help protect our kahawai too. Only a complete ban will be enforceable, given MAF'’s financial restraints. 3. 300,000 amateur fishermen land around 2,500 tonnes of kahawai annually. Most amateur fishing is in Zone 1 (See map). This is the Zone with the most marked decline in the kahawai population. Within this Zone there should be a daily limit of four kahawai per recreational fisherman until the kahawai populations are restored. This will stop recreational anglers from filling their boats with fish when they are lucky enough to find a school of kahawai. 4. Purse seining in Zone | should have been stopped before the season began this year, in April. This is the only way to effectively pro-

tect the remaining kahawai in that area since purse seiners catch almost 90 percent of the kahawai! 5. The kahawai should be brought under the Quota System immediately to end the race for quota. The maximum TAC should be less than the 5,200 tonne figure determined by scientists some years ago. This would allow recovery of the species. None of that TAC should be allocated to Zone | until amateur fishermen and scientists agree the kahawai have recovered. 6. There should be a total ban on commercial fishing for kingfish. Kingfish attract Japanese and American tourists to come to New Zealand. They spend an average of $5,000 EACH while they're here. It is insane to let commercial fishermen take them for a $1.50 a kilogram. Most commercially caught kingfish are landed by a few operators who target them with gill nets and long lines. These people will try to label their kingfish a by-catch. There can be no exceptions for kingfish that are a "by-catch’’. Any kingfish brought into port should be forfeited to the Crown. 7. There should be a limit of two kingfish per day per amateur fisherman. 8. Attempts to increase the harvesting of anchovy, pilchards, mackerel and other baits must be stopped. Our sport fish require these species as food. If we turn these bait fish into fish meal we will lose the whole inshore fishery!

trevally because of the Quota System. Of course the marlin had made a tremendous comeback because of the ban on commercial bill-fishing (the smartest move MAF ever made) but this was relevant only to the tourist fishery and a limited number of kiwis with the gear to pursue marlin.

Bad News Travels Fast

No news travels as fast as bad news in the sport fishing world. The decline in the small game (kahawai, kingfish) sport fishery correlated well with the decrease in American tourism. The marlin fishing had been better in America than New Zealand for over 20 years so few Americans came here to pursue bill fish anyway. Their main interest was in light tackle inshore fishing. No one was writing glowing reports of sport fishing in New Zealand anymore because, by 1988, the saltwater fishing was better around New York City, Baltimore or Washington! Due to bad management the New Zealanders had lost most of their fish and their tourist income in one blow.

By 1990 the fishery in Doubtless Bay and Mangonui Harbour had deteriorated even further. The combined effect of the purse seiners scooping up thousands of tonnes of kahawai and the gill nets taking hundreds of tonnes of kingfish resulted in a pretty grim situation. For the first time in living memory NO kingfish schools came in to feed around the Mangonui wharf. There were also no juvenile kahawai to be found feeding in the harbour. Out in the bay things were not much better. In February and March a few small schools of kahawai were found feeding on anchovies but there were almost no other kahawai to be seen. Medium size kingfish were found sporadically in the bay but the only kingfish found in numbers were small juveniles that normally avoid reefs and so could evade the deadly gill nets. To add insult to injury, commercial long liners were now targeting these juvenile kingfish outside Doubtless Bay by using floating long lines, effectively eliminating any hope of the kingfish recovering in less than five years. And what happened to our American sport fisherman who had come to Mangonui so impressed by New Zealand's sea life? He was forced to rethink his decision to come to New Zealand. He could no longer count on catching a meal for his family, let alone having a chance to hook big enough fish to make the day's sport worthwhile. Back in North America the fishery managers had realized the importance of recreational fishing and had been making real improvements in the con-

trol of the commercial sector throughout the 1980s. Where fishery managers had acted with courage the results had been spectacular. King mackerel and Spanish mackerel populations were booming in Florida, the salmon and bottom fish were doing well in British Columbia and the striped bass fishery was even coming back in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. By 1990 better fishing could be had around most American cities than could be found in Northland. Though the environment around Mangonui was still beautiful and the people still friendly, the fish were gone. All the suggestions that the American had made to MAF had been ignored and even if they were implemented today it would take five to ten years before the fish populations achieved 1980 levels.

On the other hand, people in New Zealand were becoming more and more aware of how badly the inshore fishery was being run. Maori and Pakeha were beginning to speak out in anger at the corporate greed and complacent management that had devastated their sea life. Maybe things would improve now that the Government realised that hundreds of thousands of voters were concerned about the sport fishery. Anyway, where there’s life, there’s hope... g

Mark Feldman is an American physician married to a New Zealander. He spends New Zealand summers with his family in Mangonui, Northland. He has held over 30 world and New Zealand fishing records. Most of his writing for the past five years has concentrated on the need for fisheries conservation in New Zealand.