The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is launching New Zealand’s first-ever Sustainable Seafood Week to celebrate the leadership of MSC certified fisheries in Aotearoa while empowering Kiwis to choose sustainable seafood to ensure we have seafood for generations to come.
About: Inge Wisselink
Recent Posts by Inge Wisselink
October round of fisheries decisions
Catch limits will be increased for 26 fisheries and reduced for three fisheries as part of a regular round of reviews designed to ensure ongoing sustainability of fisheries resources.
Seafood industry celebrated at Seafood Sustainability Awards
The big winner at the Seafood Sustainability Awards was a man who has spent almost 20 years working to protect seabirds and marine mammals in the commercial fishing industry.
Kiwi seafood companies collaborate to help iwi
Top-quality seafood has been slashed in price in an effort to support iwi during COVID-19. Sealord and Moana New Zealand have been providing their products at discounted prices – up to 70 percent off their retail value – with iwi purchasing the product in large quantities to distribute them to whanau for free.
Fishing and the environment – it shouldn’t be an either/or
This week’s release of the National Plan of Action on seabirds was the result of three years of discussions between industry, eNGOs, Fisheries New Zealand, and the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Fisheries management is actually working, global analysis shows
Nearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from stocks that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance. Effective management appears to be the main reason these stocks are at sustainable levels or successfully rebuilding.
Changes to Sea lion protections in Auckland Islands
New Zealand sea lions are a national taonga. They were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, but have been recovering since hunting was prohibited. Their threat classification has recently been upgraded from Nationally Critical to Nationally Vulnerable to reflect signs of population recovery, says Fisheries New Zealand Director of Fisheries Management, Stuart Anderson.
Seafood industry welcomes NZ-China FTA upgrade
Trade Minister David Parker’s announcement of a successful upgrade of the NZ-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been welcomed by the seafood industry.
Seafood Industry Welcomes Our Marine Environment Report
The seabird bycatch has halved, to an estimated 4186 seabird deaths in the 2016-17 fishing year, compared to 8192 in the 2002-03 year.
Commercial fisher recognised for seabird smart invention
“New Zealand is known as the seabird capital of the world. As the breeding grounds for a third of the world’s seabird species, we have an international responsibility to ensure their long-term survival”
Orange roughy stocks continue recovery
Two orange roughy fisheries – one in the Tasman, the other centred in the Pacific and the sub-Antarctic – received substantial quota increases in the sustainability round that came into effect on 1 October 2019, the start of the new fishing year.
Seafood Directions Conference – presentation
Seafood Directions Conference - presentation
Deepwater Group CEO George Clement gave a presentation at the Seafood Directions conference session on sustainability in Melbourne on 10 October 2019, which can be accessed below.

Fisheries decisions ensure sustainability
Press release from New Zealand Government Hon Stuart Nash, Minister of Fisheries. Friday 27 September 2019
Commercial catch limits for tarakihi will be reduced by a further 10 per cent as part of a package of measures to ensure sustainability of a number of fish stocks around the country.
Rare Red Squid
For those inspired by stories of the Kraken, here’s one for you.
This five-kilo beast was recently brought aboard the FV Independent while mid-water trawling for arrow squid at the Snares.
Sustainable seafood shines in eBook
The Marine Stewardship Council has published a gallery-style eBook of MSC certified seafood titled ‘Sustainable seafood and where to find it’.
Seafood sustainability improves and meets international standards
BPAs and MPAs – Is There a Difference?
New Zealand’s Benthic Protection Areas (BPAs) are internationally-recognised as a type of Marine Protected Area (MPA). The IUCN recognises seven categories of MPAs and BPAs meet Category VI.
OpenSeas answers your questions simply
OpenSeas continues to attract more and more users each month as the single source of reliable information on New Zealand’s key commercial fish species.
MSC validates New Zealand seafood sustainability
With seventeen New Zealand fisheries recertified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in September, some 50 percent of New Zealand’s wild marine catch now holds this gold standard of sustainability...
Sustainability round
This year’s sustainability round, announced by Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash (September 2018), saw 11 catch limits increase and 12 decrease.
A decrease in catch has very real consequences for fishing families and should not be taken lightly, however we must be prepared to act when stocks need to be rebuilt...
Skipper of the month – Jake McFedries
Fishing has always been an integral part of Jake McFedries’ life.
With a father who spent a fair amount of time recreationally fishing, McFedries practically grew up on the water. Being surrounded by boats and anglers and with his own love for the sea, McFedries knew he wanted to make a career out of fishing...
Revolutionising ocean forecasting – the Moana Project
The Tasman Sea is warming at one of the fastest rates on earth, bringing widespread implications for the marine environment.
Despite New Zealand having one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the world, there is limited information available to measure, monitor and predict how ocean warming will affect New Zealand waters.
The Moana Project has set out to address this...
New Zealand hoki quota owners proactively choosing to reduce catch
New Zealand hoki quota owners proactively choosing to reduce catch
Quota owners in the New Zealand hoki fishing industry have announced today (26/9/2018) they have proactively chosen to reduce the amount of hoki they will catch next year, in response to changing patterns they are observing in one of the five hoki...
Increased catches from deepwater fisheries supported by science
Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash today (19/9/2018) announced his decisions on changes to fisheries catch limits from 1 October 2018.
Thirty-two catch limits were reviewed in this sustainability round.
Four deepwater fisheries were reviewed and each had their Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) limits increased, decisions supported by the best available science.
Sustainability of NZ fisheries independently verified
Seventeen New Zealand fisheries harvesting hoki, hake, ling and southern blue whiting have been re-certified against the gold standard for sustainable seafood, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
The Squid Fishery and New Zealand Sea Lions
The Squid Fishery and New Zealand Sea Lions
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Report on sea-trials of Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) to deter seabirds from risk of trawl net capture
Report on sea-trials of Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) to deter seabirds from risk of trawl net capture
J Cleal and R Wells - 22 August 2018
Background
Between 2000 and 2005 there was growing awareness and understanding of interactions between seabirds and deepwater trawlers (e.g. greater than 28m in length)...Skipper of the Month – Elle Kibblewhite
Skipper of the month - Elle Kibblewhite

Choice matters: The environmental costs of producing meat, seafood
Reposted - originally published on 11 June 2018 by Michelle Ma (mcma@uw.edu), University of Washington Posted with images: http://www.washington.edu/news/2018/06/11/choice-matters-the-environmental-costs-of-producing-meat-seafood/
Choice matters: The environmental costs of producing meat, seafood
Which food type is more environmentally costly to produce — livestock, farmed seafood, or wild-caught fish?
Leaked Risk Profile Reports Show MPI is Effectively Monitoring Fisheries Compliance
Leaked Risk Profile Reports Show MPI is Effectively Monitoring Fisheries Compliance
Summary
- Two confidential internal Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) reports that profiled compliance risks in the hoki and southern blue whiting fisheries during 2011 and 2012 were leaked to the media.
- Media reports claim that these reports reveal wholesale misreporting in these deep water fisheries...
The definitive word on the leaked fisheries reports from MPI
Fisheries New Zealand launched
The newly launched Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) will focus on stakeholder engagement and innovation.
That was the message from the business unit’s new head Dan Bolger and Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash at the launch in early May.
Bolger said there would be a focus on...
Ocean Bounty season two underway
Ocean Bounty season two underway

Ocean Bounty, an hour-long documentary series on commercial fishing, began its second season on 13 May.
It's a 13 episode series that screens on Three at 5pm each Sunday.
Hosted by Graeme Sinclair, the show traverses New Zealand’s...
Majority of New Zealand’s wild-caught seafood MSC certified as sustainable
OpenSeas playbook launched
Southern blue whiting TACC gets big bump
Southern blue whiting TACC gets big bump

Fishing for southern blue whiting at the Bounty Platform has been given a significant boost.
The Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for SBW 6B has been raised from 2,377 tonnes to 3,145 tonnes –...
DWG collaborates with DOC to conserve sea lions
Fishermen endorse Industry Code of Conduct
New technology deployed to prevent sea lion pup deaths
Scientists from the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Deepwater Group (DWG) say GPS technology and remote cameras are helping them better understand how to prevent sea lion pups from dying on the subantarctic islands.
The rare New Zealand sea lion/rāpoka is listed as “Nationally Critical”, the highest risk classification. This season 1,792...
Sage wants NZ sea lion decline reversed
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MSC making changes
Environmental organisations unsure how science works
Seafood industry welcomes considered approach to cameras on vessels
The New Zealand seafood industry has welcomed confirmation by Stuart Nash, the Fisheries Minister, that the Government is reconsidering a proposal to install cameras on all commercial fishing vessels. Chief Executive of Seafood New Zealand, Tim Pankhurst, said the Minister’s statement that the Government will take a reasoned...
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New Zealand fisheries’ Quota Management System (QMS) is being presented as an international example by a prominent US-based conservation group. The long established The Nature Conservancy (TNC), one of the world’s largest conservation organisations and a leader in coastal and marine management, last night released an extensive...
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Mud holes at Campbell Island (Blue Planet Marine, 2015) Deepwater Group, which represent commercial fishermen in New Zealand’s deep-water fisheries, support the Labour Government’s decision to slow down the implementation of IEMRS (Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System) to ensure the new measures are effective. The Labour Government has committed to implementing digital reporting and monitoring...
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A new study by Dr Stefan Meyer from the University of Otago, published in the NZ Heraldrecently, claimed to have "game-changing" new evidence linking the decline of New Zealand sea lions to the Auckland Islands squid fishery. As a group of scientists working... An orange roughy fishery south of Stewart Island has been given the green light to reopen after 19 years. In 1998, the seafood industry agreed to cease fishing in the ORH3B Puysegur area to rest the fishery to allow stocks to rebuild. Over the past 19 years the industry...
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A one-stop source for information on New Zealand seafood was launched at the New Zealand Seafood Industry conference in Wellington today.
OpenSeas is a third-party verified, broad-based transparency initiative designed to enable customers of New Zealand seafood, primarily international customers, a single, comprehensive source of information about the environmental, social...
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Seafood exports are predicted to hit a record $2 billion annually by 2020. That is according to the Ministry for Primary Industries 2017 Situation and Outlook report. Export revenue for the year to June 2017 is expected to be $1.8 billion, broadly in line with last year,...
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The Deepwater Group, which represents New Zealand’s deepwater fishing sector, welcomes the New Zealand Sea Lion Threat Management Plan released today by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). This new Plan is based on a comprehensive risk assessment of the threats to...
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The announcement today that the Government will contribute $2.8 million over four years to fund further research into the mortality of sea lions has been welcomed by the seafood industry. Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister, Maggie Barry made the announcement a short time ago, and acknowledged the fishing... No comments by Inge Wisselink yet. |