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Minister of Fisheries of New Zealand Stuart Nash. (Photo: Labour Party)
Digital monitoring slow down disappoints environmentalists
(NEW ZEALAND, 11/14/2017)
Ministry for Primary Industries officials have received instructions to look at options for slowing down the implementation of I Integrated Electronic Monitoring and Reporting System (EMRS) on commercial fishing vessels.
The order came from Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash, who explained he had made this decision following advice from officials, and discussion with a number of stakeholders.
Under the current timeframes all commercial fishers would be required to use Geospatial Position Reporting and e-logbooks by April 1 2018, and the rollout of cameras would begin on October 1, 2018.
Minister Nash also explained that digital monitoring will give confidence to New Zealanders, and consumers from around the world, that fish from their waters are being managed and caught sustainably and that they are not following the hasty timetable set by the previous Government.
Those representing fishers who catch crabs and other species in small quantities had argued the system was a burden and the time frames were too tight.
Requirements covering the catch and position reporting for trawl vessels over 28m, in place since October 1, 2017, will continue but implementation for other vessels will be deferred.
Conservationists trying to protect endangered species of dolphins are not satisfied with the announcement made by the new minister.
Christine Rose, chairwoman of Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders NZ, said the decision was a huge setback for conservation.
"Electronic observer coverage is essential to properly manage by-catch. Evidence from electronic monitoring trials showed horrific, unreported fish dumping and the death of Hector's dolphins," she said.
Research showed up to three times as many fish and non-target species are caught and dumped than are landed and recorded in catch records, she said.
In her view, the Government must get on top of the issues of by-catch, waste, under-reporting and non-compliance.
"The National Government was no friend of conservation, but the new Labour Government has shown itself in this move, to be no friend of science, or conservation either", Rose concluded.
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