Blue cod is a 'taonga' - this is a prized natural resource in Maori culture - and an icon for many people in New Zealand.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
Fisheries New Zealand is asking for opinions on a proposal aimed at reducing fishing pressure on blue cod in the Marlborough Sounds and ensuring its long-term sustainability. Specifically, it is seeking input on a proposal to extend the seasonal closure, which currently runs from September 1 to December 19, 2024. If approved, the new season would apply from the end of 2025.
"We're considering a range of options and management tools to address overfishing and increase abundance of blue cod in the Marlborough Sounds," explained Emma Taylor, Director of Fisheries Management.
"The area sees very high levels of fishing effort, particularly in the holiday period, which, when combined with other factors such as sedimentation and marine heatwaves, is affecting the health of the fishery. This is despite catch limit reductions and other changes over the past decade."
A potting survey conducted in 2021 indicated that the amount of fishing in the area was significantly greater than the fishery could sustainably support, so the commercial catch limit (TACC) for Marlborough Sounds blue cod was reduced.
However, this was not the only measure Fisheries New Zealand took. It also formed an advisory group composed of 'tangata whenua' ("the people of the land" in Maori), fishermen, and local residents to identify measures to reduce fishing pressure and increase abundance and sustainability of the fishery. The group, which met throughout 2023, proposed several potential measures.
Among this broader set of measures for future implementation are the closure of spawning areas to fishing to rebuild the spawning population; the reduction of the combined daily bag limit for finfish in the area; options to increase information on recreational fishing, such as voluntary catch reporting; an educational campaign to improve fishing practices; or tools to mitigate release mortality.
"Marlborough Sounds blue cod are a 'taonga' [in Maori culture, this is an object or natural resource which is highly prized], and iconic for many Kiwis. We want to hear from fishers, 'tangata whenua', the local community, and anyone else with an interest in the fishery," concluded New Zealand's Director of Fisheries Management, Emma Taylor.
Those interested in expressing their opinions on the review and the measures to reduce fishing pressure and improve the health of the Marlborough Sounds blue cod fishery can do so online or by mail by 5 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2024.
This initiative is in addition to other Fisheries New Zealand is undertaking to ensure the sustainability of the country's fisheries. These include a refresh of its accidental fisheries bycatch reporting so that its efforts against it become more effective, or its package of almost NZD 50 million to support sustainable fisheries development in the Pacific over the next four years, including combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as a commitment to promote greater regional cooperation to mitigate the effects of climate change.
