As part of a suite of todays announcements by the Minister of Fisheries, the hoki fishery has been awarded a 20,000 tonne increase in the allowable catch:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/healthier+stocks+lead+hoki+increase
As many of you know, Forest & Bird has strongly opposed the green certification tick of hoki under the international 'Marine Stewardship Council'. Our reasons being:
- The bycatch of hundreds of NZ fur seals, albatrosses and petrels each year;
- The bycatch of globally threatened basking sharks;
- When bottom trawling, the fishery has significant impacts on the seafloor, altering seabed communities;
- The slow response to past stock declines so that large quota cuts;
- The prevelence of illegal mis-reporting of catches;
- The catches of small fish on the Chatham Rise and on the West Coast and
- The lack of a management plan.
As such, hoki is listed as one of the worst seafood choices on our Best Fish Guide.
Quotas are this year being increased on the basis of one year’s good recruitment, following several years of poor recruitment. Scientists say for the once depleted West coast stock that the stock is as likely to be withing target range as it is to be below it. In other words, there is still considerable uncertainty.
Leaping straight in and increasing the quota by 20,000t is as far from a precautionary approach as you can get.
We are disappointed to say the least.
