Thread: Inshore fishing under threat?

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Sorry Gibo I am not familiar with the situation up there. However i can speak on my local area.

I love catching fish as much as you and many others on here however i do feel that locally the rules desperately need a shake up.

The bottom structure in our bay has been completely destroyed by years of bottom trawling, there is very little reef left.

I would love to see the installation of some artificial reefs and some bottom trawl exclusion zones.

We have a local (recreational) minimum size limit for snaps of 25cm which in my opinion is too small and should be increased to 30cm.

We are also permitted 10 snaps per person which is a lot and should be lowered.

Two long lines are allowed per boat. Personally i would be happy if that was reduced to one.

I despise the recent ban/ban/ban cancel culture as much as the next guy. However....

We do need to do something to ensure our children and grandchildren can have the same fun, enjoyment and food for their family that we do. I know you will agree !

The question is what is the right path/decisions to make?

As a recreational body we are terrible at representing ourselves and often the decisions are made by those in an office with very little knowledge of what they are deciding on.

We need to be a far better collective voice !!
@veitnamcam you will have something of value to add here I am sure.










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Firstly I would say be very very careful what you wish for....
Speaking now specifically about snapper 7

Why would you or any other recreational fisher advocate for a lowering of the recreational catch limit of snapper in our finally recovering nicely....getting better year on year snapper fishery?
You do know commercial quota for snapper was increased in our region last year or maybe the one before?
Because they argue snapper are so prolific they cant fish the bay for months (or they run out of quota)
And they are asking for more.....recreational need to grab all the quota they can and hang onto it (legaly not physically ) because once that "share" of the "Total Allowable Catch" is gone we the people will never get it back.

By increasing the snapper quota for commercial and not for recreational (which they of course should have to at least match the comercial ) they have effectively taken the publics fish (yours mine your dads and mine our childrens and neighbors) and given it into OWNERSHIP OF COMERCIAL COMPANYS.
Short of complete societal breakdown civil war type shit we will never get that back.

Gurnard is up for reveiw right now and I suggest you submit and I would politely suggest you submit along the lines that if commercial quota is increased then recreational MUST be raised to match.
Or it is theft from the public by companies/the govt.

While I would like to think it is every kiwis right to catch or gather a feed the sad facts are this.
There are two groups in NZ whos rights to fish are written into law.

COMMERCIAL

And

CUSTOMARY

If you dont belong to one of those two groups you have no right to fish written into law and are at the whim of whoever is in parliament at the time.

NEVER advocate for a reduction in limit for recreational of a recovering abundant species.