Southern Blue Whiting Trawl Fishery Re-assessment 2017

The SBW6B, SBW6I and SBW6R trawl fisheries have been MSC certified since 2012 and were re-assessed in 2017.

DWG undertakes to make all non-confidential information that is provided to the Conformance Assessment Body publicly available on this webpage to ensure all documents are easily accessible by all participants.

Here you can find a summary of the key information from these references.

Principle 1

"A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery."

The intent of this principle is to ensure that the productive capacities of the resources are maintained at high levels and are not sacrificed in favour of short term interests.

Principle 2

"Fishing operations should allow for the maintenance of the structure, productivity, function and diversity of the ecosystem (including habitat and associated dependent and ecologically related species) on which the fishery depends."

The intent of this principle is to encourage management of fisheries from an ecosystem perspective under a system designed to restrain the impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.

Baker, C.S.; Chilvers, B.L.; Childerhouse, S.; Constantine, R.; Currey, R.; Mattlin, R.; van Helden, A.; Hitchmough, R.; Rolfe, J. (2016) Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals, 2013. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 14. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 18 p

Ballara, S.L. (2015). Fish and invertebrate bycatch in New Zealand fisheries from 1990–91 until 2012–13. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 158.

Black, J. (2016). Hake, hoki, ling and southern blue whiting trawl footprint analysis 1989/90 – 2013/14. GNS Science, Wellington, Letter Report LR 2016/118 prepared for DWG, 30 p. 

DOC (2009). Mitigating incidental captures of fur seals in trawl fisheries. Project MIT2006/09.

DOC (2016a). Conservation Services Programme Annual Plan 2016/17. DOC: Wellington

DOC (2016b). New Zealand fur seal population estimation.

DOC (2017). Conservation Services Programme Annual Research Summary 2015/16. DOC: Wellington

DOC (2017a). Sea Lion Threat Management Plan.

DWG (2014). Vessel Management Plan: Operational Procedures. Mitigation of the Incidental Capture of Seabirds >28 Metre Freezer and Fresher Trawlers. Version 5.0 2014-15. 22 p.

DWG (2014a). Marine Mammals: Operational Procedures. 22 p.

DWG (2014b). Sharks: Operational Procedures. 19 p.

DWG (2016). SBW Fishery Agreed Protocols for Protected Species Risk Management 2016-17

DWG (2016a). Memo to SBW6I Vessels: Sea Lion Risk Management 2016-17

Francis, M. (2017). Review of commercial fishery interactions and population information for New Zealand basking shark. Prepared for Department of Conservation. 44 p.

Fu, D. & Sagar, P. (2016). The 2014 demographic assessment of the Snares Islands population of Southern Buller’s albatross (Diomedea bulleri bulleri). New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 165. 40 p.

Hamilton, S. & Baker, B. (2010). Assessment of the impact of selected fisheries mortality on New Zealand fur seal populations using PBR approach.

MPI (2013). National Plan of Action – 2013 to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in New Zealand Fisheries. 63 p.

MPI (2015). Southern Blue Whiting sustainability measures 2015-16: Minister’s decision.

MPI (2016). Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review (AEBAR 2016). MPI:Wellington

MPI (2016a). Annual Operational Plan for Deepwater Fisheries for 2016/17. MPI Technical Paper No. 2016/46. MPI: Wellington

MPI (2016b). Operational Plan to Manage the Incidental Capture of New Zealand Sea Lions in the 2016 Southern Blue Whiting Fishery at Campbell Island (SBW6I). 6 p. MPI: Wellington

MPI (2016c). Performance of the 2016 southern blue whiting fishery and compliance with the SBW6I Operational Plan. MPI: Wellington

MPI (2017). Southern blue whiting (SBW). Fisheries Assessment Plenary May 2017: Stock Assessments and Stock Status

MPI (2017a). Volume 1 (Intro to Groper): Fisheries Assessment Plenary May 2017: Stock Assessments and Stock Status.

MPI (2017b). Volume 2 (Hake to Pilchard): Fisheries Assessment Plenary May 2017: Stock Assessments and Stock Status.

MPI (2017c). Volume 3 (Red Snapper to Yellow-eyed Mullet): Fisheries Assessment Plenary May 2017: Stock Assessments and Stock Status.

MPI (2017d). Annual Review Report for Deepwater Fisheries for 2015/16. MPI Technical Paper No:2017/29.

Richard, Y. & Abraham, E.R. (2015). Assessment of the risk of commercial fisheries to New Zealand seabirds, 2006–07 to 2012–13. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report 162. 85 p.

Richard, Y. & Abraham, E.R. (2015a). Assessment of the risk of commercial fisheries to New Zealand seabirds, 2006–07 to 2012–13: Supplementary information. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report 162.

Roberts, J. & Doonan, I. (2016). Quantitative Risk Assessment of Threats to New Zealand Sea Lions. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 166. 111 p.

Sagar, P.M., Amey, J., Scofield, R.P. & Roberston, C.J.R. (2015). Population trends, timing of breeding and survival of Salvin’s albatross (Thalassarche salvini) at proclamation Island, Bounty Islands, New Zealand. Notornis Vol 62:21-29

Taylor, R. H. (1996). Distribution, abundance and pup production of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri, Lesson) at the Bounty Islands.

Principle 3

"The fishery is subject to an effective management system that respects local, national and international laws and standards and incorporates institutional and operational frameworks that require use of the resource to be responsible and sustainable."

The intent of this principle is to ensure that there is an institutional and operational framework for implementing Principles 1 and 2, appropriate to the size and scale of the fishery.

Additional documents from site visit July 2017

Surveillance Report

Acoura Marine's Final Report dated August 2018 is available here.