Ling Longline Fishery Re-assessment 2017

The longline fisheries for LIN3, LIN4, LIN5, LIN6 and LIN7 have been MSC certified since 2014 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.

Abraham, E.R.; Richard, Y.; Bell, E.; Landers, T.J. (2015). Overlap of the distribution of black petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni) with New Zealand trawl and longline fisheries. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 161. 30 p.

Abraham E. R., Thompson F. N. (2015). Captures of all birds in ling longline fisheries, in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone, during the 2014–15 fishing year. Retrieved from https://psc.dragonfly.co.nz/2016v1/released/birds/ling-longline/all-vessels/eez/2014-15/, Jul 3, 2017.

Anderson, O.F. (2014). Fish and invertebrate bycatch and discards in New Zealand ling longline fisheries from 1992-93 until 2011-12. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 138. 68 p.

Baker, G. B., Jensz, K., Cunningham, R., Holdsworth, M. & Chilvers, B. L. (2015). White-capped albatross aerial survey 2015. Report prepared by Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington. 31p. 

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.

Bell, M. (2017). Chatham Island seabird research 2016-17. DOC CSP Report. 25 p.

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

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

DOC (2017a) Conservation Services Programme 2017/18. DOC: Wellington

DWG (2011). 10 Commandments for Saving Seabirds: Operational Procedures. 1 p.

DWG (2013). Interim Code of Practice for the Mitigation of Incidental Seabird Capture in New Zealand Bottom Longline Fisheries. 12 p.

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

DWG (2016a). 10 Commandments for ling longliners. 1 p.

DWG (2016b). Ling FMA2-7 Bottom Longline Operational Procedures 2016-17. 19 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.

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

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). Annual Review Report for Deepwater Fisheries for 2014/15. MPI Technical Paper No: 2016/09. MPI: Wellington

Pierre, J.P. & Goad, D.W. (2016). Improving tori line performance in small-vessel longline fisheries. Conservation Services Programme Project MIT2014-02. DOC: Wellington

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.

Sagar, P., Thompson, D. & Scofield, P. (2017). Population study of Southern Buller’s Albatross on The Snares. Report prepared for Deepwater Group Ltd. 13 p.

Tingley, G.A. (2017). Managing the impacts of fishing on benthic habitat in New Zealand. Report prepared for Deepwater Group. 3 p.

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 can be accessed here.