Coastline with boats in New Zealand.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
A new scientific report recently presented in New Zealand showed that more than 87% of the country's fish stocks are sustainable or, as NZ Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said, they are "in good shape overall."
New Zealand's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries highlighted that this latest scientific report supports the conclusions of the report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the end of June, which ranked the country's fisheries among the most sustainable in the world.
The FAO report, 'The Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources 2025', indicated that on the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, more than 90% of fish stocks were being fished sustainably, while in Australia and New Zealand, the figure exceeds 85%. The results of this new report confirm this.
"Fisheries New Zealand's Status of the Stocks report shows 87.2% of the country's 149 scientifically evaluated stocks are sustainable. There are plans in place to get the 19 fish stocks identified as needing support back to where they should be," Minister Jones stated.
"Our fish stocks can fluctuate from year to year but there's been a steady increase in the percentage of scientifically evaluated stocks that are sustainable since reporting began in 2009," he continued, while noting that over the past three years, this level has remained above 87%.
As highlighted in the statement issued by the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry, New Zealand's seafood sector employs around 9,000 people, provides food for kiwis, and wild-catch fisheries generate around NZD 1.5 billion in annual exports.
"I know fishers are committed to sustainability and I'm working with them to ensure we have reasonable measures in place," NZ Oceans and Fisheries Minister stated.
"Our quota management system remains at the heart of New Zealand's fisheries' success story, but I'm always open to new ideas to ensure a sustainable industry and fishery," he continued.
Shane Jones also recalled that, in August, he announced that the New Zealand Government was moving forward with a package of important science-based fisheries reforms, which, according to the Minister, will ensure more responsive fisheries management so that NZ's fishing industry can continue to get value from the country's sustainable fisheries resources.
"These changes will build on the generations of hard work that have gone into making New Zealand recognised for its good management of fisheries resources," he explained.
"Knowing our seafood comes from sustainable fisheries is good news for fishers, consumers, and for the sector's ongoing health," New Zealand's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries concluded.