Outdoor Council Wary on Government’s Fishing Parks

A major outdoor recreation council has called for a “ careful measured response" to the National-led governments proposal for recreational fishing parks, announced today. The Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations (CORANZ)said while recreational zones were - on the surface - commendable there were too many unanswered questions.

“There are too many potential fish-hooks there,” said CORANZ co-chairman Bill Benfield of the Wairarapa.

He referred to reports that “some commercial fishing” will still be allowed under the proposals.

“Some” needs to be quantified, is it a little some or a big some? Does this this also mean the highly damaging commercial scallop dredges will still be allowed into a scallop fishery that is already under severe stress due to commercial overfishing?"

He noted at the last election, National promised to create recreational fishing parks by banning commercial fishing in key areas.

In the Marlborough Sounds the recreational fishing public had endured draconian rules that discriminated against the public while favouring commercial. The slot rule had caused unnecessary deaths to many thousands of blue cod and particularly breeding females while commercial fishing only had a voluntary size limit.

Bill Benfield said a park with defined boundaries did not affect fish movement. Most species were migratory especially at spawning time and there would be no guarantee that fish moving beyond the reserve would not be plundered particularly by corporate purse seiners. He cited the kahawai as a species that was over-fished.

“Recreational hunting areas were tried and it ended up a few small areas reserved for recreational while the main resource was plundered. In addition poaching of recreational hunting areas was rife. We don’t want a repeat of this with fishing.”

Bill Benfield said the degree of government control was another “fish hook”.

“Will we have elections for any management committees or will it be a repeat of the ECan fiasco with government puppets as commissioners?"

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