These include conflicts over allocation between users, too many fishing vessels, increasing demand for fish and fish products, insufficient monitoring, lack of adequate data to assess the status of fish stocks, changing environmental conditions, and, in many fisheries, high levels of non-compliance with the law. Many of these issues are relevant to New Zealand’s fisheries.
New Zealand’s marine environment covers some 4.4 million square kilometres of ocean and is home to at least 8,000 diverse species of aquatic life, of which about 130 are fished commercially.
By the early 1980s, New Zealand fisheries managers found themselves in a very challenging situation.
New Zealand had declared its 200-mile nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in 1978. Within this huge area, deepwater fisheries had recently begun to be developed and the government was concerned to ensure that development continued in a way that was economically rational and sustainable.
The country’s inshore fisheries, meanwhile, were on the verge of economic collapse. Like every other country at the time, New Zealand had managed these fisheries using traditional input controls like size limits, gear restrictions, seasons and area closures. And, like many fisheries around the world, its inshore industry was significantly overcapitalised. Too many boats were chasing too few fish.
It was a huge challenge for government and industry to bring in a management system that could effectively deal with both the offshore and inshore situations.
New Zealand decided on a national system of Individually Transferable Quotas (ITQs), as it was thought this would create business certainty and encourage investment and efficiency in the fishing sector.
Time has proved this to be the case. New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS) provided a level of certainty that has attracted investment and subsequent growth, which in turn has created an environment where the industry has been able to mature and become more responsible and professional.
However, turning access to New Zealand’s commercial fisheries into a privately tradable right caused the largest indigenous rights claim in New Zealand’s history. This was resolved through 20% of commercial quota being returned to Maori.
In the years since, Maori has built its commercial stake to the point where its quota and fishing company interests mean it now controls or influences over 30% of New Zealand’s commercial fisheries
Today’s fishing industry in New Zealand is dominated by large, vertically-integrated companies concentrated in a few, large ports.
This is a long way from where the country was when it declared the EEZ in 1978. At that time the industry was dominated by owner-operator fishers and processors scattered throughout New Zealand’s coastal communities.
The efficiency of the New Zealand fishing fleet has grown significantly over the years, with fewer vessels, reduced overcapacity and improved environmental performance.
And the character and culture of New Zealand’s industry continues to undergo significant change. In 2006, around half a million tonnes of fish were taken from its EEZ, generating around $NZ1.3 billion in income for the sector.
Over 90% of New Zealand’s catch is exported. So the industry must continually evolve to keep pace with changes in the global marketplace.
Currently, New Zealand’s fishing industry faces a number of challenges, including labour shortages, brought about by the high employment rate, and increased costs of doing business – particularly the current high costs of fuel and high value of the New Zealand dollar.
The industry’s improved economic efficiency – brought about by the QMS – has positioned it well for today’s tough economic situation.
But through all this, fish stocks remain sustainable. This has always been the government’s intention. Because without fish, there is no fishery.
This is not to say that fisheries management in New Zealand is perfect. With only four million people, and the fourth largest EEZ in the world, the country simply cannot afford the science needed to manage all fisheries exactly at their Maximum Sustainable Yield.
The New Zealand government does not subsidise commercial fisheries. Last year it recovered a little over NZ$30 million from the fishing industry in levies, to cover costs involved in managing commercial fisheries. This includes such costs as registry services, compliance, observer coverage, and fisheries research.
Research a priority
Setting appropriate catch limits is a challenge in all fisheries, especially where information is limited. Research is prioritised, with input from stakeholders, to ensure there is adequate information for the most important fisheries.Overall, the status of New Zealand’s fish stocks is pretty good, with many stocks currently at or near target levels. However, some stocks have been reduced below levels that allow Maximum Sustainable Yield to be harvested. In a few cases – such as the Challenger Orange Roughy stock – stock levels are very low.
Of the 99 fish stocks for which there is information for current stock size, 84 (85%) are at or near target levels. For the remainder of those stocks, rebuild strategies are in place. These represent the main commercial stocks. Details on the status of New Zealand’s fish stocks are available through the Ministry of Fisheries’ website: www.fish.govt.nz
Ensuring adequate compliance is a challenge in every managed fishery. New Zealand uses a combination of education and enforcement to help ensure appropriate compliance levels.
Automatic vessel monitoring systems are required on all large vessels and government observers may be placed on any vessel. The observers are paid for by the industry. Where necessary, penalties are very strong, including forfeiture of fishing vessels and fish quotas, and imprisonment, for most serious offences.
The government has recently increased its enforcement effort to target unregistered fishers who take high value species such as rock lobster and abalone. This has been done in conjunction with the commercial sector and this collaborative approach is proving most successful.
At the other end of the scale, the government has brought in ‘infringement notices’, to simplify penalties for low-level commercial offences and minor recreational fishing offences.
Another very important and ongoing challenge is environmental performance. It is a challenge for all primary industries to keep pace with the environmental standards expected by society and consumers, and the fishing industry is no exception. This is especially so in New Zealand, where the country’s clean green image gives its primary industries a comparative advantage in international markets.
Jim Anderton says, “I think New Zealand’s commercial fishing industry has matured to a point where it appreciates this. We have seen their collective work on getting the hoki fishery accredited to the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label. And we have seen how seriously they take the issue of fishing’s impact on the environment.
“I suspect that over the next decade, all New Zealand’s major fisheries will need to be independently certified as being safe and sustainable if we are to retain access to our North American and European markets. I have recently announced the government’s plans to work with industry towards this,” he continues.
The government and industry, in collaboration with environmental NGOs, have been working to reduce seabird and sea lion deaths in New Zealand trawl fisheries. The Minister has said that he is pleased with the progress made to date.
The government is also independently working towards a greater understanding of New Zealand’s ocean ecosystems. Some of this work addresses aspects such as biodiversity and flow-on effects in fisheries, and the impacts of bottom trawling.
Benthic Protection Areas
New Zealand has already closed some of its deepwater seamounts to bottom trawling, but has recently added to this with the creation of new Benthic Protection Areas (BPAs) within its EEZ. These areas are closed to bottom trawling, and were proposed by industry in early 2006. The BPAs and seamount closures combined cover an area about twice the size of France.The coming years will see the creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas across the country’s Territorial Seas and EEZ. These will protect examples of the range of different marine habitats and ecosystems, as well as those that are outstanding or rare.
Getting the most from New Zealand’s marine resources requires an ongoing balancing act. “We must balance what we take now against what we leave for the future. We must balance the economic benefits of catching fish against any environmental damage this may cause. We must also balance how catches are shared between our commercial and non-commercial fishing sectors,” Jim Anderton said.
He goes on to state that in popular fisheries, where demand outpaces supply, the government has to decide how catch should be shared between non-commercial and commercial fishers.
New Zealand has a growing population, which means increasing pressure on the resource from non-commercial fishers. This brings growing tensions in fisheries where commercial and non-commercial fishers both have a strong interest. This is another issue the government is currently working to address.
Over time, social, political and economic environments change. And no matter how good the system is for the current environment, all management systems need to have the flexibility to adapt to these changes over time.
New Zealand’s QMS has now been in place 20 years. Over this time the country has seen many refinements, changes and additions.
“I know we will continue to see change as New Zealand’s QMS adapts to future conditions and continues delivering the outcomes that I, as Minister of Fisheries, am looking for – sustainable fisheries and sustainable fishing businesses,” Jim Anderton concludes.
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