Industry supports Minister's decision to increase squid TACC
The New Zealand fisheries and seafood industries are supporting Minister of Fisheries Jim Anderton's decision to increase the squid TACC and the by-catch limit for sea lions for the rest of this season.
Mr Anderton has increased the catch limit in the SQ1T fishery by 20 percent and revised the fishing-related mortality limit for New Zealand sea lions in the SQ6T fishery from 97 to 150 animals. The changes are for this season only.
The SQ6T fishery operates around the Auckland Islands , from February through to April or May. New Zealand sea lions eat squid and are at risk of drowning when they chase squid into the trawl nets.
The Deepwater Stakeholder Group Ltd, which represents nearly all squid fishers in New Zealand , said the decision would allow them to take advantage of the squid resource without approaching a level where the sea lion population would be compromised.
Deepwater executive officer Richard Cade said the decision was sensible and very conservative in respect of the sea lion population given that scientific research showed a by-catch of as many as 550 sea lions could be made this season without endangering the population.
“We are reassured that the Minister continues to make decisions based on good science.”
“The Deepwater Stakeholder Group is committed to ongoing research and development to improve the SLED (Sea lion exclusion devices) that are currently used by all vessels operating in the SQ6T fishery to ensure sea lions have every opportunity to escape from the net during squid operations,” Mr Cade said.
The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council chief executive Owen Symmans said the seafood industry supported the decision, which would allow squid fishers to benefit from more squid in the southern ocean this season.
“The proposed increase to the allowed number for sea lions that can be caught is an upper limit and we would fully expect that the actual number caught will be fewer. This is a positive move by the Minister based on scientific research, and recognises the economic importance of the fishery,” Mr Symmans said.
Mr Anderton said he was acting on advice that there were more squid than usual in the southern squid trawl fisheries this season. “I consider that the information on the fishery and related impacts on the wider marine eco-system indicates we can take advantage of the economic opportunity this increase presents without posing an unacceptable risk to the sustainability of the squid or other marine species,” Mr Anderton said.
“The scientific model that underpins the advice I have received suggests that a mortality rate of 550 sea lions in the current season would not threaten the viability of the population. However, I still want to exercise considerable caution, given that there are always uncertainties when you apply a scientific model to the real world.”
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