know its a long read for a friday, but what I've attempted to do, is break down in simple language, what the hell has gone down with this fishing study and fallout this week.
Like it or not, this **** affects ALL OF US fishers, and there are some real good buggers out there working damn hard in the background for the rights, not just of us rec, but fighting to help slowly change the current system so we will see more fish for everyone.
I want to live in a world where years from now, our kids ask us to tell them how bad the fishing used to be.
FISH of the DAYLiked
33 mins
You might not know it, but I reckon this week might well be reflected upon as the most significant in NZ's history for fishers of all types. (yes commercial as well)
You may have seen or heard lots of talk on the news all week about this 'fishing study' but found all the talk and opinion around it a bit confusing (I know I have). So I want to attempt to give a crash course on what's gone down, as simply as possible, and how this is going to have a positive affect for the ocean around us.
OK SO.......
1. A peer reviewed scientific study came out. (Peer reviewed means they got other really smart people to test their study really hard out) It showed that commercial fishers in NZ have actually been catching 2.7 times what they actually reported catching since 1950.
In this there are also a bunch of other really terrible discoveries about NZ fisheries management, I've put some interesting links down the bottom which you can have a look at later.
The study was done with 400 researchers and scientists, including 308 confidential interviews with commercial fishing insiders.
2. MPI (the govt. department overseeing fisheries) then rubbishes the report, attacking the science of it, and latching on to the confidential interviews as 'not science' and then using this to claim the study is flawed. However MP Nathan Guy (he's the MPI Minister) says he hasn't even read the study, despite claiming to just sort of know its wrong and stuff. Without. Even. Reading. It.
3. Opposition parties, Greenpeace, Legasea, and others call for an inquiry.
MPI responds, says: "nothing to see here, no problem, business as usual", and continues to attack the science despite it being proven good as bro.
4.
Then two new reports are leaked. (Operation Achilles & Hippocamp). Now its important to note that these were MPI's OWN reports. They were never made public and never released in 2013 when they were made. In them they revealed that commercial boats WERE dumping fish, KILLING dolphins and LYING about catch. But whats really stink about this is that MPI knew about it, they even had photo and video evidence, yet did nothing.
5.
MPI continues to deny anything is wrong and responds (and this is the weird bit) saying their OWN reports were wrong and that it was a 'Pre-lim' report.
Which again is super strange because if it was a 'pre-lim report' then what happened to the 'post-lim report' I mean it was done like 3 years ago, surely theyd have this done by now right?
Let me attempt to translate this further into what I think they were trying to say; 'Pre-lim' = 'report with all the bits that make us and our quota holding mates look terrible not taken out yet'.
6.
MPI in the face of an absolute MOUNTAIN, A MOUNTAIN of evidence, announce that they are now going to allow an investigation into themselves to take place.
This is the total opposite what they were saying like just the day before.
However they are still refusing to release the footage of the dumping and dolphins death, this, despite, you know being a government department that works on the behalf of 'us kiwis'. Which is kind of bad really, as it is our information, our taxes pay for it. Where all big kids, so lets see it.
SO NOW, we are waiting to see how broad this investigation is, as they are real famous for putting blinkers on the investigators to try and hide all the bad stuff from the public by controlling what is they are allowed to look at.
7.
It doesnt stop there, but stick with me, we're nearly there.
So tonight ANOTHER report is leaked.
Again, this is MPI's OWN report and something that should have already been public but wasn't.
Called 'Operation Overdue' it revealed that a fishing inspector found basically that Commercial fishing boats belonging to Sanfords were lying about the amount of catch they were making.
And again we learnt tonight that MPI have done NOTHING about this. As in no one was sent to time out, no boats confiscated, not even a slap on the wrist with a wet Blue Cod etc etc.
OK, COOL, so now you are mostly up to speed, but can I just finish by adding.
A.
This isn't attack on commercial fishers, who by and large are just pawns for some of the fat cat quota holders, they are often forced into positions where they have no option but to dump their catch. We need to look at the system itself, cause it's broken.
B.
The real reason this has been in the news this week, ALL week, is that people like you do care, and are waking up what we have, and need to look after out there. If the public didnt care about this, it would have dissappeared from news stories as quickly as it arrived. I personally think recreational fishers and the public have started to wake up, thanks in part to rules they tried to change around snapper. (remember that!)
So WELL DONE to ANYONE who has shared an article, talked about this with mates, liked a page, or most importantly supported organisations like LegaSea - More Fish In The Water - who are fighting DAMN HARD for you all in the background. Not just for recreational, they want restored abundance for ALL of us, and it is possible, we can do this together.
It might sound strange but I reckon this week is actually a real cause for celebration, because for the first time almost ever in our history, a bright torch has been shined into a dark place they hoped we would never find out about.
Having a healthy ocean for the future, and for our kids, is there for all of us, but its going to be a fight every single step of the way.
Lets roll our sleeves up.
cheers
-Clarke.