2 August 2013

Snapper 1 Fishery Decision Must Change

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne strongly supports calls by recreational fishers for the Ministry of Primary Industries to dump planned new catch limits for recreational fishers in the Snapper 1 Fishery from October this year.

Under the plan, recreational catch limits in the Snapper 1 area, which includes the Hauraki Gulf, East Northland and the Bay of Plenty, could be sliced by two-thirds – from nine fish a day to just three.

At the same time, no changes are being proposed to commercial catch limits.

“This is absurd – well over half the annual catch is in the commercial sector, yet it is recreational fishers who are being asked to bear the brunt of the new management plan.

“I understand the concern of recreational fishers who feel that these changes are a done deal – even though public submissions on the proposals are open until 23 August.

“For many recreational fishers, these proposals are a further example of imbalance in the Ministry’s approach to the recreational fishing sector, which always seems to regard their interests as secondary to those of the commercial sector,” he says.

Mr Dunne is calling on recreational fishers to make submissions opposing the change to MPI by 23 August, and also to lobby local National MPs to persuade the Primary Industries Minister to reject the proposals.
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