Aotearoa Fisheries rejects Greenpeace claims

30 May 2016

Aotearoa Fisheries rejects Greenpeace claims

The fishing industry is investing over and above statutory requirements for monitoring to bring more science and transparency to the fishery.

Trident Systems a company owned by the fishing industry but operated by a team of objective researchers and scientists is contracted by the Ministry for Primary Industries to monitor fishing with sealed, tamper proof on board cameras.

“Trident is about improving fisheries management, not about conspiracies to dodge regulations”, said Carl Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Aotearoa Fisheries Limited.

“The information collected by Trident is used to better manage the fishery. Cameras on fishing vessels were an industry driven initiative and I congratulate the fishers that were so willing to quickly install these on their vessels. Surely, that shows our fishers have nothing to hide.”

Greenpeace has criticised the lack of independence of Trident, in which Moana (currently trading as Aotearoa Fisheries Limited) has a 26 percent shareholding, in the monitoring scheme.

“This investment by industry is an example of world class fisheries management operating as it should,” said Mr. Carrington. “Those with the most invested, quota owners and fishers, making significant investment in science and technology to underpin sustainability and transparency.”

Mr Carrington said Aotearoa Fisheries Limited and other shareholders were using the data to research the sustainability of fish stocks. “Without an adequate fishery no one has a job.”

Trident was originally set up by the fishing industry to do additional research above what levies to MPI pay for.

Aotearoa Fisheries does not have access to camera footage, which is only available to Trident and MPI.

ENDS

© Scoop Media