Casting the new species kupenga

Iwi can learn a lot from the recent development of the surf clam fishery out of Hawke's Bay, says the interim chairman of Surfco, Tony Craig.

First and foremost, there's no need for iwi to bear the research cost alone. “Developmental fisheries require a lot of investment, especially in the cost of research which is not borne by the Crown,” he says. “Working in tandem can bring opportunities and share the cost with other interested parties.”

Tony says the surf clam fishery and Aotearoa Fisheries Limited's (AFL) involvement is a good example.

There are a number of fisheries out there with very low Total Allowable Commercial Catches, he says. These catches are set low because the Crown hasn't done the research to set a higher quota. Garfish would be a prime example, he says, and certainly the surf clam fishery was similar.

If a party conducts the research into the developmental fishery, then it's certainly in a prime position to take advantage of that in the later setting of higher quotas.

---

If you have any news or events coming up that you'd like covered
in an issue of Te Tai Pari, drop us an email at

Tiakina ngā rawa hi ika, a tātou kaimoana mo ngā uri whakaheke
Protecting Māori fisheries assets for future generations

---