Protection for hake fishing

Press, 15 August 1980, Page 2

Protection for hake fishing

PA Wellington Joint-venture fishing vessels will be excluded from the controlled hake zone off Hokitika from midnight last night for 14 days.

Announcing the move yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries (Mr Maclntyre) said the exclusion would, give local fishermen an advantage over. joint-venture vessels during. the hake presprawning accumulation. Joint-venture ships would be limited to fishing in waters west of and deeper than the 650-metre line after returning to the controlled area, he said. “Research into the hake fishery has shown the need to protect the resource, and so a quota of 3000 tonnes has been set,” Mr Maclntyre said.

“It has also been determined that the pre-sprawn-ing accumulation occurs round . the Hokitika Trench between July and September. “Daily catch reports from fishermen and fisheries scientists on the James Cook indicate this run has now started. The controls, announced recently after consultation with all sectors, of the industry, have accordingly been implemented," Mr Maclntyre said. Companies using jointventure ships in the area have been advised and been told the area from which they are —eluded.