Salmon bone of contention

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 5

Salmon bone of contention

Commercial fishinng companies taking quantities of salmon by-catch had to recognise the)/ were exploiting a recreational resource and accept management controls, th(e Minister of Fisheries. Mr Moyle said. i Salmon was primarily recognised as a recreational species with aquaculture the only commercial development, he told the Fishing Industry Association conference. ( “I am concerned that the commercial fishing sector does (not giye enough recognition to the effect of its salmon catches on the recreational fishing industry.” In. Canterbury and North Otago salmon we re a valuable resource apd the basis of an importapt recreational and tourist industry and a developing salmon farming industry. "The commercial sector must recognise that are exploiting a resource that is used by other groups and accept management controls that reflect this,” Mr Moyle said. Last season about 68 tonnes, or 19,000 salmon were taken at sea •— about one-third of the fish available for returning (to freshwater. The catching of salmon at sea by commercial vessels remained a difficult issue of, very grave

concern to anglers, Mr Moyle said. The salmon by-catch committee was unable to reach agreement on management of the by-catch for the present salmon season, forcing the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to return to the system of tender required by the current regulations. “I would be concerned if the commercial fishing sector considered the present system is recognition of some kind of off-shore salmon fishery," Mr Moyle said. The industry tended to regard salmon by-catch as “not a ' bad little sweetener,” he said. Mr Eric (Barratt, from Sanford South Island, Ltd, in Timaru, and a member of the association’s national council, said the commercial industry was also interested in protecting the salmon resource for recreational fishermen. However, the angler lobby was a strong and vociferous one, he said. Mr Darratt said only three companies working seven trawlers caught salmon by-catch in the Canterbury area. The bycatches were important to the continuation of fish factories which employed a total of 500 workers.