Thread: Scallops top of the south season looking grim

Scallop closures proposed in Nelson and Marlborough
Scallop closures proposed in Nelson and Marlborough | Stuff.co.nz

Myself close the whole lot any area left open will get flogged to bits. Give them a break for a couple of years.

Originally Posted by stingray

Scallop closures proposed in Nelson and Marlborough
Scallop closures proposed in Nelson and Marlborough | Stuff.co.nz

Myself close the whole lot any area left open will get flogged to bits. Give them a break for a couple of years.

agree totally. I suspect the snapper fisherman are going to wee themselves too shortly. Rumor has it TAC will be increased for commercial guys and limits reduced to 7 or 5 snapper for us. I have also heard that the figures for total snapper catch in the Tasman Bay by recreational fishers make very interesting reading when compared to the total snapper catch for the whole of Challenger by the commercial guys. There are going to be some upset people

Would be good to back to the days of seeding the beds, user pays sort of thing. Like a boat ramp fee?

The only problem being when you set up some thing like that people start sucking the $ out with admin and bureaucracy, and it would be a step closer to a salt water license.

Originally Posted by stingray

Would be good to back to the days of seeding the beds, user pays sort of thing. Like a boat ramp fee?

The only problem being when you set up some thing like that people start sucking the $ out with admin and bureaucracy, and it would be a step closer to a salt water license.

Scllop Enhancement co used to seed for the commercial guys (they paid for it) and we "others" also got the benefit of it "on the side"
Don't think that will happen again. Most of the small guys are really struggling or gone.

They stopped seeding because it stopped working and it stopped working because the habitat is buried under a layer of fine mud from forestry and farming runoff mostly but all development is to blame.

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I also think total closure for at least one season (as long as it is commercial and rec not just the rec guys taking the hit) Is a good idea let what is left breed and grow.

But if it is open I will be fishing for them.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

They stopped seeding because it stopped working and it stopped working because the habitat is buried under a layer of fine mud from forestry and farming runoff mostly but all development is to blame.

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I would think that 50 plus years, of dragging dredges and bottom trawl nets, also has a great deal, to do with the current lack of good sea bed habitat.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I also think total closure for at least one season (as long as it is commercial and rec not just the rec guys taking the hit) Is a good idea let what is left breed and grow.

But if it is open I will be fishing for them.

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Rumor I have heard was if it closes then it will be a total closure to everyone. I think that would make it easier to enforce and understand for everyone too. None of this you can go fish here but not just over there bollocks

Originally Posted by southernman

I would think that 50 plus years, of dragging dredges and bottom trawl nets, also has a great deal, to do with the current lack of good sea bed habitat.

150 odd years you mean.
Tasman bay had massive mussel beds in it that were fished out years ago.
There has been feasibility studys done into dropping piles of shell into the bay to give mussels and oysters something to attach to to start filtering and cleaning the water again like they did in the early 1800s.
Would mean banning trawling and dredging in the area tho.
I am all for it.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

They stopped seeding because it stopped working and it stopped working because the habitat is buried under a layer of fine mud from forestry and farming runoff mostly but all development is to blame.

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Absolutely correct
Forestry and farm run off, it's a mess under there, the fish taste different in the sounds, I liken it to a muddy trout, west coast blue cod is much nicer


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I know they can grow scallop spat. So it needs a place to go. Beds that they have seeded successfully before. My home ground is okiwi do I'll stump up some cash to see scallops seeded through there again not once but three or four time to get beds refreshed and maintained...from there it becomes a maintaince programme. Seedling every second or third year. Does anyone know of a contact?

Originally Posted by mikee

agree totally. I suspect the snapper fisherman are going to wee themselves too shortly. Rumor has it TAC will be increased for commercial guys and limits reduced to 7 or 5 snapper for us. I have also heard that the figures for total snapper catch in the Tasman Bay by recreational fishers make very interesting reading when compared to the total snapper catch for the whole of Challenger by the commercial guys. There are going to be some upset people

Why are they looking at reducing the Recreational take for? Numbers of snapper have at least doubled in recent years. i can see upset people if the commercial take increases and the Rec decreases. Gurnard are up even more, maybe 4 x the norm from a few years ago. plenty still being caught of delaware bay and snapper still being caught out there only last week

It shits me that commercial fisherman are still able to catch fish for export, while recreational fisherman have limits reduced.

Originally Posted by Bremic

It shits me that commercial fisherman are still able to catch fish for export, while recreational fisherman have limits reduced.

You and me both.
It is our fishery (kiwis) and as far as I am concerned the commercial can have what is left after the rec get their share in a sustainable fashion.

Inshore fisherys are shared between rec and commercial and commercial have shown time and time again they will race to catch the last fish and have no care if they cause total collapse of the fishery only if they make the most money....after all if the reccys cant catch a fish anymore they will have to buy fish off of them and when they are no longer commercially viable...they just move on to the next species

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

You and me both.
It is our fishery (kiwis) and as far as I am concerned the commercial can have what is left after the rec get their share in a sustainable fashion.

Inshore fisherys are shared between rec and commercial and commercial have shown time and time again they will race to catch the last fish and have no care if they cause total collapse of the fishery only if they make the most money....after all if the reccys cant catch a fish anymore they will have to buy fish off of them and when they are no longer commercially viable...they just move on to the next species

My views are somewhat different but then to be fair as given my employment, I have a vested interest even though its in both camps .

Currently there are very very few coms fishing the Tasman and Golden bays as they have no quota left.

I see the same cars and trailers parked at the ramp every day right thru the summer, with fish so plentiful what are they doing with it all??

If it turns out that the total weight of snapper taken in Tasman Bay by recreational fisherman exceeds the total snapper catch taken by the commercial guys for the whole of the Challenger Area would that be a surprise?? What about if its 3 times more caught by Rec's