Best fish guide doesn’t paint an accurate picture

Best fish guide doesn’t paint an accurate picture

The Best Fish Guide published by Forest and Bird Society lists very few species of fish that we can eat with a clear conscience but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

All commonly eaten species are part of New Zealand’s Quota Management System which uses independent scientific data to manage fish stocks. If stocks are depleted the total allowable catch is reduced, sometimes to zero if that’s necessary. Where fish stocks are not where they should be, management plans are in place.

While Moana New Zealand are respectful of different perspectives and understand that the role of the Forest and Bird Society in raising awareness, they do not agree with their analysis because it is not based on science.

One of the measures the Best Fish Guide uses is the type of fishing method used. Bottom trawling rates very poorly but more that 90 percent of the seabed is untouched by trawlers and as well as many other voluntary closures, there are 44 marine reserves in our waters where there is no fishing.

“The fishing industry has worked hard over the past two years to bring transparency to the industry and build public confidence. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our operations that ensures a healthier marine environment” says Moana New Zealand CEO, Carl Carrington.

Moana New Zealand has supported significant quota cuts in some fisheries to maintain sustainable biomass levels and according to Ministry for Primary Industries the majority of fish stocks are healthy.

“While we appreciate the role that Forest and Bird play in continually challenging the industry to raise the bar for sustainable fisheries, we encourage them to take a holistic perspective and to not ignore the scientific data provided by Ministry for Primary Industries by way of stock assessments or all the good things the industry is doing,” he says.

-Ends-

© Scoop Media