Not on my pc ..can't get link to show correctly. .maybe someone can ..
Looks like it's going to be another free for all just when it was rebuilding ..what goes on with the way they think ..

Recreational snapper catch in the Top of the South could increase from 90 tonnes to 250 tonnes.

Marlborough Recreational Fishers' Association president Peter Watson said he welcomed the review.

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Watson said there were snapper fish in the outer Sounds but environmental factors, such as run-off from industries on the land and temperature change, were causing snapper not to venture further in.

"The fish are definitely there," Watson said.

A discussion document said there would be a tailored management plan that would attempt to assess the Marlborough Sounds snapper fishery, which was not experiencing the same catch trends as Golden Bay or Tasman Bay.

Only 7 per cent of commercial snapper catch came from the Marlborough Sounds.

The discussion paper said the increase would not be putting the rebuild of the fishery at risk.

Watson said there was "definitely room" for the government's suggestion to increase the commercial catch as well.

Marlborough Marine Futures chairman Eric Jorgensen, who was on the snapper consultation group for the review, said he was not aware of anyone specifically targeting the fish commercially in Marlborough.

The commercial increase would not have any affect on Marlborough, he said.

In addition to new recreational and commercial limits a 25-tonne mortality allowance would also be introduced, and customary fishers would see their catch increased from 16 tonnes to 20 tonnes each year.

Current regulations said there was a recreational daily bag limit of 10 snapper per person in zone 7, but only three in the Marlborough Sounds area.

Watson wanted to see a bag limit of five per person across the Top of the South area, he said.

"[Nelson fishers] are not playing ball with looking after the resource," he said.

There were snapper fish present near d'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds, but Nelson fishermen came and caught them, he said.

Long-time Marlborough recreational fisher Tony Orman said anyone who went fishing could catch blue cod, but snapper required skill to capture.

Recreational fishing did not have such an impact on the snapper population, Orman said

When the government cut the recreational snapper fishing quota they did not make any reduction in the commercial quota, and the review seemed to be addressing that injustice, he said.

The paper said the proposed new recreational allowance would be better aligned with the estimated current catches, and the ratio between commercial and recreational fisheries would shift from 70:30 to 50:50.

A stock assessment showed the biomass in the overall area had increased rapidly since 2012.

"Recreational harvest is predicted to have tripled between the last estimate and the upcoming fishing year," the paper said.

A Marlborough District Council spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the matter was a government issue.

Submissions on the document close on July 11.

- The Marlborough Express

Is this one of those 'increases' in rec catch where the daily bag limits etc don't change and hence there is no 'increase' as such? Just a paper exercise to create some positive spin around the increase in the commercial quota? Last recreational quota 'increase' in the Hauraki Gulf was coupled with a reduction in daily catch limits. some increase! You don't have to be a brain surgeon to work out that when you extrapolate into the future alongside our ridiculously high population growth (being used to prop up the governments accounts) we will see the same thing over and over until your 'daily' bag limit is 1 per year. If you love your fishing it is bloody scary to extrapolate the trends over the last 30 years into the future. Unless something massively changes your grand children won't be allowed to catch a feed like we do today.

every time there is a rebuild of any sort only the comm's are allowed a increase,
well i can understand we will never receive one because so many fishermen are happy with 5 fish a trip, they go fishing every week,

but the guy that go's once every month or 2nd month is not considered in his mind of thought, so not likely we will ever get anymore because 25% or around that figure keep thinking its ok.

X 2 Derek F