Rock Lobster Industry Again Shoulders the Burden

Media Release

March 23, 2017

ROCK LOBSTER INDUSTRY AGAIN SHOULDERS THE BURDEN

The Chief Executive of the NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council, Daryl Sykes, has expressed disappointment that rock lobster fishery management decisions announced today by the Minister of Fisheries have not extended to definite actions and deadlines in relation to widespread fish thieving on the east coast of the North Island.

Mr. Sykes commented that - "We should be well past the time when shared fisheries management decisions can only impact on commercial operators to address observed declines in stock abundance. I expected that the Minister would be far more mindful of shared responsibility and shared accountability when confirming his decisions for CRA 3 and CRA 4. The risk that he takes is that commercial reductions announced today become re-allocations of catches across to other users, including the fish thieves, and his intended management outcomes are totally compromised."

"The Minister announced important decisions, informed by good science and generally supported by the rock lobster industry, but regrettably he is silent as to instructing his officials to take the actions necessary to deal with a situation in which he finds himself obliged to make an explicit allowance for fish thieves to take over a hundred and sixty tonnes of rock lobsters from the Wellington, Hawkes Bay (CRA 4) and Gisborne/East Coast (CRA 3) lobster fisheries in every season," said Mr. Sykes.

"The CRA 4 decision has serious implications for that industry in terms of both social and economic impacts yet there is nothing in the Ministers announcement to indicate that he has made an effort to adequately balance those impacts against other relevant considerations when reaching his final decision. The implied certainty of future benefit was not manifested in a similar situation when making decisions for the CRA 5 (Canterbury Marlborough) fishery in 2016."

"The full burden of maintaining a sustainable lobster fishery again falls only on commercial operators by way of catch reductions,’ said Mr. Sykes, ’whilst fish thieves are fully provided for at the levels of catch estimated by MPI several years ago. That is an untenable situation for the lobster industry and stronger representations will now be made to the Minister and to MPI to take action to effectively constrain illegal removals to improve fishing opportunity for legitimate commercial and non-commercial fishing interests."

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