The article below is republished with permission from the Sustainable Fisheries website from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. Author, Max Mossler, is an important voice in addressing the reportage of fisheries globally and follows in the footsteps of his pioneering colleague, Ray Hilborn.
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).
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.
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.
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.
The Squid Fishery and New Zealand Sea Lions
The Squid Fishery and New Zealand Sea Lions
[caption id="attachment_6371" align="aligncenter" width="604"]
Figure 1: Location of sea lion breeding sites in New Zealand. The Auckland Islands breeding site is the one that intersects with the squid fishery. Source: DOC Threat Management Plan (left) and Tamzin Henderson (right).[/caption]
What’s causing the... 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
Elle Kibblewhite has plenty of sea-faring achievements to her name. At 16, Elle began working with her Dad, Richard, cray fishing and set netting on Splashzone 2 during the summer. She also gained her commercial electrician’s trade certificate.
Now 23, Elle has since gone... Skipper of the Month: Stephan Fridell
Skipper of the Month:
Stephan Fridell – Skipper on Sealord’s Tokatu
Sage wants NZ sea lion decline reversed
(reposted from the NZ Herald)
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22 Feb, 2018
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Comment | Scientists challenge sea lion research
From The New Zealand Herald 23 October 2017
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935905
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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...
Large-scale changes bring opportunity for further collaboration
[caption id="attachment_5976" align="alignnone" width="604"]
Photograph by Peter Marriott/NIWA[/caption]
The seafood industry and the Ministry for Primary Industries continue to collaborate during the rollout of the Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System (IEMRS).
The seafood industry is working with MPI on expectations that appear to be unnecessary, unworkable or that will...
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Photograph by Peter Marriott/NIWA[/caption]
The seafood industry and the Ministry for Primary Industries continue to collaborate during the rollout of the Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System (IEMRS).
The seafood industry is working with MPI on expectations that appear to be unnecessary, unworkable or that will... Fish stocks on the rise
Increased biomass in red gurnard and orange roughy fisheries has seen a rise in catch limits.
The Ministry for Primary Industries announced the adjustments as part of their twice-yearly fisheries sustainability review.
The orange roughy fishery - ORH3B Puysegur - south of Stewart Island has been reopened after the...
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The Ministry for Primary Industries announced the adjustments as part of their twice-yearly fisheries sustainability review.
The orange roughy fishery - ORH3B Puysegur - south of Stewart Island has been reopened after the... The Story of New Zealand Orange Roughy
The story of New Zealand orange roughy: From the “poster child” of unsustainable fishing to Marine Stewardship Council assessment.
By P.L. Cordue and originally published on CFOOD. In the late 1970s, a “huge” new fisheries resource was discovered in deep water on the north Chatham Rise. In the early days, there was somewhat of a gold...Marine Biodiversity Needs More Than Protection
To sustain the seas, advocates of marine protected areas and those in fisheries management must work together, not at cross purposes, urges Ray Hilborn.
Reposted from Nature Magazine, 13 July 2016
On 1 September, government leaders, directors of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others will meet in Hawaii at the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World...
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Ray Hilborn Asks If the Drive for MPA’s is Environmentally Shortsighted
Most NGO’s assume that Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) are an unmitigated good, with little thought to their impact on the global food system.
But, converting large areas of productive fisheries to no-take zones, while appealing to NGO’s, actually may increase global environmental degredation.
The reason, says Professor Ray Hilborn in our latest video, is that marine protein...
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One in four British children think haddock is a soccer player
Nearly a quarter of British children don’t know that haddock is a fish, thinking instead that it is the name of a soccer player. This misconception is almost laughable until one realizes that we are talking about the potential seafood consumers of tomorrow.
Unfortunately the misconceptions don’t stop there. In a survey carried out by the...
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‘Precision fishing’ trial confirmed to help the tiddlers
A new form of commercial fishing - precision seafood harvesting (PSH) - has improved the survival rates for by-catch, scientists involved in the New Zealand project said.The system - which uses a large, flexible PVC liner with specifically sized holes along its length, allows undersized fish to escape before...
Why fish is nature’s antidepressant
It is known to prevent against heart disease and is hailed as the secret to a long, healthy life.
Now, researchers have found the Mediterranean diet can help people with depression, too.
A study found people who followed the diet were happier, less stressed and reported an improved quality of life compared to those who ate fewer...
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