Current laws mean a commercial fishing vessel can only keep snapper bigger than 25cm and anything smaller must be returned to the sea.<\/p>\n
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) confirmed the proposed size limit change and said in the case of snapper it would apply to all trawl, Danish seine and set net fishers.<\/p>\n
A spokesman said the bill would also revoke minimum size limits for \u201cmost other\u201d commercially caught fish in the Quota Management System. <\/p>\n
The bill suggests commercial size limits for kingfish would be abandoned too, but the spokesman said limits would be retained for that species. <\/p>\n
An introductory note in the bill says it\u2019s about delivering on \u201cGovernment priorities to grow the value of seafood sector exports while continuing to ensure sustainability\u201d.<\/p>\n
Legasea CEO Sam Woolford says he was blindsided by the plan to remove minimum legal-size limits for the commercial sector. <\/p>\n
Woolford said rules allowing the killing of baby snapper are bad for the economy and future generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cKilling baby fish in order to create more fish for export \u2013 that\u2019s kneecapping productivity. If you take a juvenile fish out of the ecosystem, it doesn\u2019t have a chance to reproduce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recreational fishers would still have to adhere to minimum legal size limits.<\/p>\n
For recreational fishers in the Snapper 1 area, which covers Auckland and the east coast up to North Cape, the minimum legal size for snapper is 30cm with a daily bag limit of seven snapper per fisher.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is absolutely no consideration for the ecosystem impacts, but also for the societal ones \u2013 the fact that New Zealanders still have minimum size limits to adhere to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woolford feared that if the rules were passed, his children wouldn\u2019t be able to catch a legal-sized trevally because juveniles will be taken by trawl nets and shipped offshore.<\/p>\n
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has been forthright in his approach to fisheries reform, saying on multiple occasions he wants to unleash the industry\u2019s economic potential.<\/p>\n
The Herald sought comment from Jones on the latest rule changes, but a spokeswoman said he was busy.<\/p>\n
The size limit changes follow multiple controversial reforms<\/a> that also feature in the Bill.<\/p>\n These changes include plans to block the public from obtaining footage of fish dumping under the Official Information Act.<\/p>\n Other changes set to go before a select committee include giving quota owners the right to carry forward an increased amount of uncaught catch into another fishing year; there\u2019s more flexibility to dump unwanted catch at sea, and the ability for fisheries decisions to be challenged in court will be reduced.<\/p>\n Seafood New Zealand CEO Lisa Futschek praised Jones\u2019 leadership in a statement welcoming the bill on Wednesday. <\/p>\n \u201cNew Zealand\u2019s fisheries are a public resource that must be managed carefully. We support changes that help ensure healthy fisheries which all New Zealanders can enjoy,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Woolford said the bill removes the premise of sustainability, and when the initial changes were proposed, around 25,000 New Zealanders made submissions opposing the reforms.<\/p>\n A previous Government statement on plans said the public will get the chance to comment on the bill, which is now expected to progress to the select committee phase of deliberations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really feels like New Zealanders are an afterthought right now. We\u2019re outside the tent,\u201d Woolford said.<\/p>\n He urged people to make their feelings known to both the Government and opposition parties before the upcoming general election.<\/p>\n Jones had also signalled plans to allow commercial vessels to land dead marlin and sell them \u2013 plans he backed away from after a backlash from the public, including fishing icon Matt Watson.<\/a><\/p>\n