Built_to_fish wrote: Adam what's being done about getting yft back into nz waters? or is it out of nz hands once pass the Eez...

Outside our exclusive economic zone ( 200 miles offshore) it is classed as international waters and is deemed fishing on the high seas, which in a nut shell basically means there's no fishing quota to fill and is really a free for all for all of those commercial operators concerned.
As an example, often you get a lot of Chinese and Spanish fishing operations coming down here from Fiji and Tonga to fish for albacore and big-eye tuna, broadbill swordfish, marlin, sharks and yellow fin where they fish just out side of our exclusive 200 mile zone. As the pelagic species head into our waters from about late November these operates follow these tuna schools right down from the pacific islands until they reach our waters and often set up shop right on our border's for weeks on end intercepting the tuna schools and other migratory fish that come through. As the tuna depart again at the end of our season and head to warmer climes the operators fish for them as they head north again.

At present if a New Zealand fishing company/ companies wanted to exclusively target and land marlin whether it be for export or for the local market, they could legitimately do so providing they had the proper survey and paper work to do it. This in turn would see the New Zealand fishing operation do exactly what the Chinese and Spanish are doing and go out beyond 200 miles offshore, catch and land marlin and return to there NZ port of operation and unload them. As there is no quota areas out there they can also unload as much tonnage as they wish

New Zealand has a relatively small surface long line fleet, and in comparison to the Chinese and Spanish most of our operators are that small they have to unload there catch as quick as possible and in best possible condition for export then per say a Chinese or Spanish operation who have the ability too blast freeze there fish and can stay out for weeks on end and just stockpile there catch in their home countries, which is what they are planning on doing when catches decline over time. Some of these Spanish vessels are so advanced they are really factory boat operations. They can set many thousand's more hooks than our domestic fleets ( In some instances they have an auto bait machine where you don't have to physically bait up a hook yourself),They are very big and can hold tons of fish and process marlin, tuna and broadbill quickly and it goes without saying that they sometimes have a crew of about 20 people.

Could a New Zealand vessel have the ability to do this you may ask? . Well, it's a big yes and previously one New Zealand company had a vessel called the Daniel Soulander has done this. They got surface long line for weeks on end and had the capabilities to blast freeze northern and southern blue fin tuna.

Gotta give credit where it's due. I copied in our local MP and got this reply to let me know he had followed up on it. Shane,

Thank you for copying me in on your email to Minster Nathan Guy about New Zealand's marlin fishery. I have made contact with Nathan's office to seek more information on this.

I am informed that the Minister has not had any intention to change the current rules around marlin fishing. It seems that the Ministry has previously held two rounds of consultation with both recreational and commercial stakeholders regarding the best way to manage by-catch as part if NZ's tuna fishery.

As a result of this consultation they have decided not to recommend any change to the current marlin fishing rules and therefore marlin will remain a non commercial species in New Zealand waters.

The ministry have issued a press release clarifying this which I have copied below.

Thanks again for your email.

Best wishes.


Todd McClay MP