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Illegal fishing report reveals "mockery" of New Zealand fisheries policy

Xinhua, September 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

New Zealand's much-vaunted commercial fisheries management system was under fire Friday after an official report showed fishing boat operators were allowed to get away with illegal fishing.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), which polices the country's Quota Management System, was criticized in the report for its flawed process in deciding against prosecuting for the illegal dumping of fish catches.

MPI director-general Martyn Dunne on Friday said the way in which the decision was made not to prosecute over the apparent dumping of quota fish was regrettable.

"It is also disappointing that the process was characterized by confusion and a lack of adequate documentation and communication," Dunne said in a statement.

"Illegal discarding in the commercial fishery is not a new problem. It has been around since the formation of the quota management system 30 years ago and it is a problem that fisheries management systems are grappling with around the world."

MPI was undertaking a program to modernize its fisheries management and compliance, including in relation to illegal discarding, including the acceleration of electronic monitoring on all of the 1,200 commercial fishing vessels in New Zealand by October 2017.

"The reality is, some commercial fishers need to lift their game. There are many responsible operators out there but there are also some who have less of a commitment to observing the law," said Dunne.

"Industry has a responsibility to adopt and maintain practices that will ensure the sustainability of our fish stocks for future generations and to safeguard New Zealand's international reputation."

However, environment campaigners said the contract for monitoring fishing vessels had been awarded to a company controlled by commercial fishing firms, proving the MPI was "in bed" with the industry.

"If New Zealanders are wondering why it is so hard to catch a fish these days, this report offers a simple cause - MPI is helping the fishing industry to cover up illegal systematic dumping of fish," said Greenpeace New Zealand executive director Russel Norman said in a statement.

The ministry needed to change its culture to ensure the health of the marine environment and secure the long term future of the fisheries for all New Zealanders, said the Forest & Bird conservation group.

"The review confirms that the ministry is in bed with the fishing industry and is failing to ensure commercial fishing is sustainable," Forest & Bird advocacy and campaigns manager Kevin Hackwell said in a statement.

The opposition Green Party said the fishing industry was being allowed to pillage New Zealand's oceans and discard 20 to 100 percent of quota fish during every haul.

"These numbers make a mockery of the Quota Management System that was designed to protect our fish stocks from exploitation," Green Party primary industries spokesperson Eugenie Sage said in a statement. Endit