Rescue plan may be too late for salmon

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 32

Rescue plan may be too late for salmon

By

PAM MORTON

A delay in introducing a three-part rescue plan for the South Island salmon fishery was defeating the purpose of the legislation, according to the president of the New Zealand Salmon Anglers’ Association, Mr Lindsay Dell.

The plan, announced earlier this year by the Minister of Fisheries, Mr Moyle, was to have taken effect from the start of the fishing year on October 1. It was aimed at reducing the numbers of salmon caught at sea by commercial fishing vessels. Mr Dell said yesterday that salmon were already congregating off Banks Peninsula and some had been caught by off-shore fishermen. Under the proposed regulations trawl and set netting will be prohibited within one nautical mile

of the mouths of the main rivers on the east coast of the South Island. Another part of the rescue plan relates to the introduction of a closed fishing area off Banks Peninsula. The area, which has been identified as producing most of the bycatch salmon, would be closed to trawl vessels more than 23 metres long from December 15 to February 28 for the next two years. Mr Dell said salmon numbers built up during this period with the main spawning runs in February.

“The theory of the regulations is excellent but it is of very little use sitting on a desk in Wellington,” he said. “While people can wait for the politicians, the fish can’t.” . Mr Dell said the regula-

tions were to be in force by December 15 but nothing appeared to have been done about implementing them. The third part of the plan calls for salmon at sea to be surrended to MAFFish on landing. The fish will be processed by licensed packing houses and compensation paid to cover the cost of handling the fish. Any income to MAFFish from the sale of the salmon will be returned to acclimatisation societies and salmon hatcheries for the enhancement of salmon stocks. Mr Dell said the procrastination had been dragging on and that it was unlikely that the closed fishing area would be implemented before the December 15 starting date.

The regional fisheries officer with MAFFish, Mr

Barry Webster, said the plan was going ahead and that the department intended to have the regulations in force by midDecember. Mr Webster said parts of the rescue plan were tied up with amendments to the Fisheries (SouthEast Area Commercial Fishing) Regulations, 1986, which was under review. “The draft amendments are now in Wellington and will have to go through the parliamentary procedures,” he said. “We recognise the urgency of this piece of legislation and have every intention that it will go through as soon as possible.” Mr Webster said the Maori Fisheries Bill and internal restructuring within MAFFish had taken precedence.