Fisheries verifying hauls in $30m

Advocates of better fisheries management have welcomed a $30.5 million boost over four years announced in the Budget.

However, they have warned that unless the funding for cameras and electronic reporting is backed up by better enforcement, the public will not regain confidence in management.

Last year a leaked Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) report showed its own officials believed that 20 to 100 per cent of some quota fish were being discarded during every haul.

The Government also announced in the Budget an extra $18.4m over four years to strengthen the biosecurity system and protect borders from alien pests and diseases.

MPI Minister Nathan Guy said the fisheries funding would upgrade and modernise the fisheries management system.

Vessel position monitoring and electronic catch reporting will begin on October 1, followed by cameras on every vessel phased in from October 1 next year.

It would allow ‘‘fine-scale’’ management and focus on smaller geographic areas and specific bays of concern. It would support more detailed scientific research of the marine environment.

Forest and Bird advocate Kevin Hackwell said the public had lost confidence in fisheries management. The funding seemed ‘‘a bit on the lean side’’ and the new technology needed to be reinforced by enforcement where necessary.

Legesea spokesman Scott McIndoe called for an overhaul of the quota management system. He agreed the new funding would go some way towards better management.

The extra $18.4m for biosecurity brings the total budget for the sector to $248m a year. The cost of pests such as possums, rabbits and wallabies to the primary sector is estimated at $1 billion a year.

Guy said part of the new funding would be used to manage biosecurity risk off-shore so fewer pests and diseases made it to New Zealand.

‘‘A major focus will also go on lifting public awareness and participation because biosecurity is the responsibility of all New Zealanders, he said.

‘‘The funding will also be used to accelerate the development and uptake of new tools to detect and eradicate pests, including sonar scanning of vessel hulls and automatic acoustic traps for use in pest surveillance and eradication.’’