New scallop quota ‘maximum exploitation’
Commercial scallopers are accepting of the new catch limit for the top of the south but not so the recreational sector, whose spokesman says the Government has adopted a ‘‘high-risk strategy’’.
After consultation with both factions Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy set the commercial limit at 25 tonnes from the Marlborough Sounds – down on the 30 tonnes last year – with an additional 15 tonnes from a ‘‘new’’ area on the eastern side of Tasman Bay, offshore from Delaware Bay and towards Cape Souci.
The Challenger Scallop Enhancement Company had asked for 34 tonnes from the Sounds, with a grouping of resident and recreational organisations seeking a cut to 15 tonnes.
The minister said his decision was based on ministry research and its key objective was ‘‘to ensure sustainability and a timely rebuild of the number of scallops’’.
Challenger’s boats began dredging this week and chief executive John Reid said the company was comfortable with the reduced take. He said it was usual for Challenger to propose a harvest plan for a bigger take than the MPI’s stated position in its early consultation. ‘‘We obviously go higher, they go lower.’’
Reid said the final total had been agreed with MPI before being approved by the minister. ‘‘There are no real losers in the commercial fleet because of the decision. We do understand there has to be that precautionary rule.’’
The commercial boats would not be harvesting the scallop bed recently found within Delaware Bay, he said, leaving that area for the recreational gatherers.
Challenger had also agreed on an in-season survey at the prime fishing spot, Guards Bank, to assess the impact of the dredging, and that would also be happening in Ship Cove and at Dieffenbach Point, two other areas targeted by the commercial boats. ‘‘That will identify the impact of commercial and recreational fishing. We won’t be able to tell who’s done what, but it’s a snapshot of what’s left,’’ Reid said.
Within the 25 tonnes from the Sounds, sub-area catch limits have been set at 13t from Guards Bay, 7.5t from Ship Cove/Long Island, 2.5t from Dieffenbach Point and 2t from the rest of the Sounds. Last year Challenger made its own decision to harvest only 21.5t from the approved total of 30t.
Spokesman for the Kenepuru and Central Sounds Residents’ Association, the Pelorus Boating Club and the Marlborough Rec- reational Fishers Association, Andrew Caddie, wrote to the MPI this week, saying that the take from Guards Bay will be 43 per cent of the available scallops rather than the 22 per cent the ministry researchers put forward as the acceptable exploitation rate. This was an example of ‘‘manipulation of average biomass’’, Caddie said.
‘‘It is this ‘maximum exploitation at all costs’ approach to management of the resource that is resulting in its sharp decline.’’ Describing the Sounds scallop population as ‘‘small, stressed and fragile’’ he asked that his group be supplied with the details of the day-to-day monitoring of the commercial catch and that it be fully briefed on the mid-season survey.
Caddie said that the smaller Sounds tonnage and the midseason survey were both positive but didn’t go far enough.