Kahawai update

Forest and Bird, Volume 22, Issue 4, 1 November 1991, Page 3

Kahawai update

Mark Feldman

QUOTA FOR KAHAWAI was finally announced in October 1990, after years of controversy over whether commercial boats should be allowed to plunder kahawai stocks prized by recreational fishers. Amateurs have been furious about the continuing decline in kahawai numbers and the lack of action by MAF to control commercial exploitation (see Forest & Bird May 1990). However, the amateurs are still not satisfied. The commercial quota of 6500 tonnes was a political decision by the Minister of Fisheries which lacked any scientific reasoning. The kahawai quota of 6500 tonnes exceeds the commercial kahawai catch for every year up until 1987, when kahawai were already in trouble. The effect of a 6500 tonne quota is to sanction the continued destruction of kahawai stocks by the

three purse-seine companies (Sanford’s is the largest). The commercial quota will also be shared amongst longliners, set netters and trawlers. A total commercial quota of 4000 tonnes would be more sensible. No more than 1000 tonnes should be allocated to commercial interests off the northeast of the North Island (Quota Management Area 1), where there are nearly 200,000 recreational kahawai fishers. Recreational fishers could do their share to conserve kahawai stocks by adopting a four kahawai per person daily limit. The wasteful and indiscriminate practice of set netting for kahawai should be outlawed. Another major problem is looming for the kahawai fishery. Many are caught as by-catch in the purse-seine jack mackerel fishery. Unfortunately, the Quota Appeal Authority recently increased the mackerel

quota for the west coast of both islands by a staggering 60 percent to 32,000 tonnes. This will lead to many more kahawai being taken as an incidental catch. Recently a further 500 tonnes of kahawai was allocated as by-catch in the mackerel fishery. Recreational fishers are alarmed — they see no reason why this increase has been allowed. One solution to the by-catch problem in the mackerel fishery is to deduct the tonnage of kahawai caught from the operator’s mackerel quota for the next season. A steep penalty for the dumping of kahawai would be required. We are running out of time to save the kahawai fishery. If we don’t act now our kahawai will do what they did in West Australia because of over-fishing — disappear. y=