New Zealand First is renewing its call for a full Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand’s fisheries management following recent talk of limits on recreational fishing.
The fishery belongs to all New Zealanders but it is a finite resource, says Spokesperson for Fisheries and Outdoor Recreation Richard Prosser.
The Quota Management System, now 30 years old, has worked well but now causes some of the issues we face. It needs to be looked at again along with our whole system of fisheries management.
An inquiry with the authority to investigate quota allocation and trading, how Total Allowable Commercial Catches (TACC) are set, and the degree of foreign involvement in quota-holding companies is needed.
The inquiry should look at everything, from the effectiveness of surveillance technology, to the resourcing available to Fisheries Officers and the Navy for enforcement, and who should be allowed to fish in the inshore.
New Zealand First has consistently said that fishing is a birthright for New Zealanders, and that the reasonable needs of ordinary people have to take priority, but we must be mindful of the commercial sector, also; no-one wants to put them out of business, says Mr Prosser.
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