Recreational Fishing in Quota System Opposed

A national outdoor recreation body has opposed a government move aimed at absorbing recreational fishing into the Fisheries Quota Management System (QMS).

The Council of Outdoor Recreational Associations of New Zealand (CORANZ) said the move was a veiled attempt to absorb recreational public into the quota system which would inevitably lead to recreational fishing licences.

The comment was in response to an article in the May issue of “Fishing and Outdoors” monthly paper telling of a move by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) to set up a four person team to visit Western Australia to look at the state’s system. Among the committee are former TV fishing host Graeme Sinclair who has a strong relationship to the Seafood Council and the commercial fishing industry and Geoff Rowling former president of the near defunct NZ Recreational Fishing Council.

CORANZ co-chairman Bill Benfield said in addition the committee had Randall Bess a a NZ Initiative representative. NZ Initiative was the former NZ Business Roundtable, a hard right business group aligned to “Rogernomics” privatisation policies.

“The real agenda seems to be pre-determined, i.e. to absorb recreational fishing into the Quota Management System, which will lead to a set quota for recreational fishing then to catch reporting for recreational fishing and from there will follow the need for licensing,” said Bill Benfield.

"It’s basically privatisation of the resource which is the fundamental philosophy of NZ Initiative.”

Bill Benfield said it was ironic that the self-reporting which MPI would impose on recreational fishers had not worked with the commercial sector.

“Self reporting has been an abysmal failure as shown by the on-going, widespread dumping by commercial fishermen, despite it being illegal.”

MPI had sought to cover up the commercial sector’s illegal dumping which was only revealed by leaked information. Otherwise it would have continued with denial by MPI and commercial sector and the massive wastage of fish.

“You can bet your last dollar that if recreational dumped fish, MPI would be down on it like a tonne of bricks,” he said.

Bill Benfield said Minister Nathan Guy and MPI were wasting time in trying to absorb the recreational public into the QMS.

“What’s needed to get sound fisheries management is a Minister with the strength and commitment to stop bureaucrats dominating and for the ministry to have a culture of serving the public interest instead of fat-cat corporate companies,” he said.

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