NZ fish stocks in good shape. Fisheries New Zealand has recently published its annual Status of New Zealand’s fisheries report, which shows that most NZ fish stocks are in good shape and sustainable.
Manager fisheries science Dr Richard Ford says Fisheries New Zealand is committed to ensuring the long term sustainability of New Zealand’s fisheries.
“It was good to see that 142 of the 169 assessed fish stocks have no sustainability issues,” Dr Ford says.
“However there are 27 fish stocks which have some sustainability concerns. In all cases where stocks need support, corrective management action has been or is being, put in place to improve stock levels.
“We use the Quota Management System (QMS) to manage New Zealand’s fisheries, and the bedrock of the system is scientific data.
“We spend about $22 million a year on scientific research to get the best available information about what is happening in our fisheries.
“All the scientific information we receive which goes into the stock assessments is independently peer reviewed by Fisheries Assessment Working groups to ensure the accuracy of information.
“If the science suggests that a stock is doing well, then we look at increasing catch limits. If the stock status assessment suggests that the catch needs to be reduced to ensure sustainability, then we propose reducing catch limits to rebuild the stock,” says Dr Ford.
Highlights from the review show that the:
- first ever successful assessment for Chatham Islands rock lobster was completed in 2018 and showed that the stock is above biomass limits, but below the management target
- Puysegur sub-stock of orange roughy was assessed in 2017 and found to have fully rebuilt since its closure in 1997.
To determine the status of each stock, a number of fisheries assessment working groups evaluate the results of scientific research vessel surveys, catch and effort reports, data from onboard fisheries observers and other relevant information.
The status of the stocks is updated annually, and work on the 2019 update is already well underway, so that the most current advice is available to enable the best decisions to be made by fisheries managers.