What follows is a government press release from earlier today. The 'tailgunner' Carter is again sticking his nose in.

 

 

Full Protection For Great White Sharks

Press Release by New Zealand Government at 11:11 am, 30 Nov 2006

White pointer sharks will now be fully protected within the 200 nautical
miles of New Zealand and from fishing by New Zealand-flagged boats,
further a field, in a change in legislation announced by the Ministers
of Conservation and Fisheries today.

The species, also known as the great white shark, will be protected
under The Wildlife Act meaning it will be illegal to hunt, kill or harm
a white pointer shark within New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ
- 200 nautical mile limit around NZ). It will also be illegal in New
Zealand to possess or trade in any part of a white pointer shark.

New Zealand is a signatory to the Convention on the Conservation of
Migratory Species of Wild Animals and has an obligation to prohibit the
taking of white pointer sharks.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter said despite the white pointer's
reputation as an apex predator, it was vulnerable to fishing and
becoming rarer throughout the world.

"These majestic animals occur naturally in low numbers and, without
protection, could be pushed to the brink of extinction. The Wildlife Act
provides a strong deterrent against targeting great whites with a
$250,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment as a maximum penalty."

The species will be further protected on the high seas (outside the EEZ)
under the Fisheries Act where New Zealand-flagged boats will be
prohibited from taking white pointer sharks while fishing outside the
EEZ.

However, provisions will be created to permit the continued use of shark
nets to protect swimmers around beaches in Dunedin, and fishers
accidentally catching and killing white pointers will not be prosecuted
provided they register the death with authorities.

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the white pointer shark was not
known to be targeted by commercial fishing but was occasionally taken,
unintentionally, as by-catch.

Mr Anderton also said they were sometimes targeted by recreational
fishers and there was some demand for jaws and teeth as fishing
trophies. Others were unintentionally caught in set nets.

"No one wants to see an animal hunted to extinction for the sake of a
jaw or a few teeth or to be placed under pressure by accidental catch.
Under these new regulations no fisher will be able to profit from taking
a white pointer, and any fisher inadvertently catching one will have to
return it to the sea, intact, and alive, if possible," Mr Anderton said.

The protection comes into effect in April 2007.

 

Cheers

odin
  

 

last thing I want to too is tangle with a white in my boat

 

 

Cheers Wefaknis

However, in my defence, I have been very sporting about it, and always only using a 4lb tippet on my 4wgt fly rod, and I tease them up and bait them with a size 16 Royal Wulfe.... although, just quietly, a Red Tip Governer is juat as good....

 

Tui Tui Tui.

 

Cheers, Stu.

 dose not say you cant Tand R them and hey if you do get one and it dies well boo hoo these things happen it was said a couple back they cant read and we dont go out of our way like they do in Aussie and South Africa to get em,

bowel tourist is looking for support there is an election coming and this closet commando is feeling for the tree hugger amoungst us to come on board and go ohhhhhh are,

have been fishing for over 40 years never seen 1 never want to and i certainly wont vote for a homo pathing the hemorid highway

 

Jim