Healthier stocks lead to hoki increase

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley has today announced that the legal commercial hoki catch will be increased by 20,000 tonnes. It is estimated the increase will bring in over $29 million in extra export earnings for the country.

This decision raises the commercial catch limit (Total Allowable Commercial Catch or TACC) from 90,000 tonnes to 110,000 tonnes and will take effect at the beginning of the new fishing year on 1 October.

The hoki TACC has been as high as 250,000 tonnes but was gradually reduced to its current level of 90,000 tonnes in 2007 to allow the fishery to rebuild.

"The latest scientific research and monitoring shows a substantial increase in hoki stocks," Mr Heatley said.

"The scientific modelling shows a larger increase in hoki catches could have been justified but I am taking a cautious approach to make sure we keep the stock at target levels over the long term.

"I am committed to making good fisheries management decisions based on sound science so we can make the best use of our valuable fish stocks now, while making sure they will be available into the future," Mr Heatley said.

"We will continue to monitor the hoki fishery closely to make sure we keep the fishery within the target range."

Catch limits are moved up and down following advice from the Ministry of Fisheries to take into account changes in the abundance of a fish stock and make sure fishing is kept to sustainable levels.

The hoki fishery is an excellent example of this approach working successfully. In recent years the western hoki stock has experienced a period of low levels of recruitment (young fish entering the fishery). This has required significant reductions in catch limits over the past seven years to allow the stock to rebuild.

"The reductions in catch over the last seven years have come at significant cost to the fishing industry and the economy but this careful management is now paying dividends," Mr Heatley said.

The Ministry of Fisheries recently announced the findings of the latest scientific research which shows the western hoki stock is recovering well and is now back within the target range for the fishery. The eastern hoki stock remains very strong and has never been below target levels.

Neither hoki stock has ever dropped below the international benchmark for a stock to be considered "overfished" or "depleted."

Other regulation changes

Hoki is one of 11 stocks amended by the Minister as part of the annual catch limit review for the new fishing season starting on October 1.

Small TACC increases have been made in a range of other fisheries due to natural increases in the fish population. These fisheries include:

• Marlborough dredge oysters (OYS7C) by 20 tonnes, from 43 to 63 tonnes;
• ling on the central west coast of the North and South Islands (LIN7) from 2,225 tonnes to 2,474 tonnes;
• elephantfish on the east coast of the South Island (ELE3) from 950 to 1000 tonnes;
• elephantfish on the south and southwest coast of the South Island (ELE5) from 120 to 140 tonnes;
• red gurnard on the north and west coasts of the South Island (GUR7) from 681 to 715 tonnes;
• red gurnard on the south and east coasts of the South Island (GUR3) from 800 to 900 tonnes;
• smooth oreo on the South Island's east coast (part of OEO3A) from 1400 to 1650 tonnes; and
• John dory on the South Island's north and west coasts (JDO7) from 114 to 125 tonnes.

The TACC for orange roughy in the 3B fishery (ORH3B) off the east and south coast of the South Island will be reduced from 9,420 tonnes to 7,950 tonnes, and the TACC for black cardinalfish off the North Island's east and south coast will be reduced from 2,223 tonnes to 1,620 tonnes, to allow both stocks to rebuild.

Areas open for the commercial harvest of brown and green beachcast seaweed in the North Island are also being expanded. Areas closed by existing regulations and ecologically sensitive areas including some harbours, estuaries and areas important to bird populations will not be opened.

Details of all regulation changes and the Minister's comments on each are available under ‘latest news' at www.fish.govt.nz

Background on hoki

The hoki fishery brought in $151.3 million in export earnings in 2008 and with the latest catch increase is projected to bring in over $180 million over the coming fishing year (1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010).

There are two hoki stocks in New Zealand. The larger western stock is found around an area of deep water known as the Hokitika Canyon off the South Island's west coast and the ‘southern plateau' in sub-Antarctic waters south of New Zealand. The smaller eastern stock is located around the Chatham Rise between the South Island's east coast and the Chatham Islands, as well as in Cook Strait.

More information on the hoki fishery is available on the Ministry of Fisheries website at this link:

www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/info/contactus/Media+Centre/Hoki.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic%26WBCMODE