N.Z. Orange Roughy Catch May Double

New Zealand has the biggest orange roughy fishery in the world and if new Ministry of Fisheries proposals are accepted, the total allowable catch from the North East Chatham Rise will double. It proposes to increase the catch from 3,500 metric tons to 7,000 metric tons, and naturally Orange Roughy Management Company chief executive George Clement is delighted. The proposed new catch limits should be finalized in August, and be effective from Oct. 1 2001.

Ten years ago, the orange roughy population in the Chatham Rise was being decimated by an annual catch of 20,000 metric tons, he said. So by allowing the species to rejuvenate, the fishing industry has ensured the orange roughy population could reach a level at which responsible fishing could continue.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, NIWA, estimates show the orange roughy population in the Chatham Rise was well above 30 percent of the original size, the figure at which catches are considered sustainable.

"New Zealand is the world leader in sustainable orange roughy fisheries. No one anywhere in the world has rebuilt an orange roughy population as well as we have, and no one else has technology that is as cutting edge as ours." said Mr Clement.

Minister of Fisheries, Pete Hodgson said that while the orange roughy catch at the Chatham Rise would double, the total allowable catch nationwide would not change a great deal because catches in other areas were to be reduced.