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FISH TODAY FOR TOMORROW Distributed New Zealand wide - PO Box 10580, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3240 - Phone 07 855 1833 - Email mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz

MPI BUSTED -By Graham Carter

These excerpts from the MPI’s Operation Achilles report show how badly managed and corrupt the MPI Fisheries Management is. The MPI have been fully aware that dumping is taking place and have allowed dumping to continue unprosecuted, whilst denying the practice and keeping the information from the public arena).

10.20 As I understand it the Ministry has previously ignored offending (dumping) that has been observed and recorded by Ministry Fisheries Observers because an assurance has been given to the vessels concerned prior to the observers boarding the vessel that all such offending that has been seen would be disregarded and no prosecution action taken…

10.21 I am also aware that it is the intention of the MPI Fishery Management group to run a trial program with the main objective being to obtain better information on the amount, type and composition on fish discards. Part of this proposal would include the issuing of ‘special permits’ to allow dumping/ discarding from certain vessels…

I think this would be an unwise move until such time as a decision has been made as to what legal action will be taken against these vessels. There are other legal issues that I feel should be considered to as I believe they could have serious implications to the ministry.

10.22 From a legal standpoint I believe that consideration should be given to a number of issues.

Firstly, does the Ministry have a le-

gal mandate to allow it to contract out of the prosecution of offences?

Is this an action that only the Solicitor General can take? The fact that we have previously given assurance against prosecution and may have done so again may not be the correct course and I believe should be further considered. Could the Ministry potentially be seen to be perverting the course of justice?

10.23 As to whether this matter achieves the required levels as to the crown prosecution guidelines regarding public interest and evidential sufficiency then I believe that they have been met …overwhelmingly.

10.24 Matters that should be considered for the public interest include: 1. seriousness of the offending; 2. economic and ecological harm; 3. deliberate ongoing and systematic course of action; 4. difficult to detect this type of using standard investigation techniques.

10.25 …Consideration should therefore be given as to the possible repercussions and criticism that could be faced if we were not to prosecute these vessels…place at risk our credibility here and internationally and face justifiable criticism from industry and the judiciary.

10.28 …we have never had such compelling evidence to prove what we have known for a long time. It is imperative in my opinion that we act positively and timely to mitigate the risk that may result due to a lack (or perceived lack) of action on our part.

The Fishing and Outdoors Newspaper is the only fishing newspa-

per or magazine which has made a hardline stand against the MPI and commercial fishing industry.

The newspaper has published many articles on the state of the NZ wide fishery and the Commercial Fishing Industries and MPI’s failings, since July 2013.

We have outlined and detailed the many issues which have pointed the finger at Nathan Guy, Minister of MPI and his co-horts in the MPI in the management of the fishery and how is has colluded with the Commercial Fishing Industry in the rape and pillage of the inshore fishery through the failed Quota Management System.

Copies of the newspaper have been regularly posted to the Prime Minister and the Minister of MPI, and other national party MP’s, so for Nathan Guy to state on National TV that he is unaware of the issues is disgusting.

The MPI and Seafood NZ along with commercial fishing interests have continually rebutted our accusations, as we have identified, in issue after issue the ministries and commercial fisheries failings.

They have threatened to take the newspaper to the Press Council, and we have shown the MPI where they have breached their own Fisheries Act on two occasions. Staff of the Fishing and Outdoors Newspaper have been threatened by the NZ Police and commercial fishers.

Headlines like “MPI Cancer of the Seas”, “MPI Totally Incompetent”, “Massive Fish Sellout”, “A Disgrace to Democracy”, “An Absolute Abomination”, “MPI plan to take away our

Birthright”, “Ban the Trawlers”, have identified the Ministries failings and the attitude of the commercial fishing industry whilst they have continued to deny that anything is wrong.

Even the NZ Seafood Industry has rebutted these accusations and have fully supported the MPI and the Commercial Fishing Industry as they have down played the stance of the newspaper.

What is required is a full ministerial enquiry, so that the MPI and the commercial fishing industry and the levels of corruption and lies, be completely exposed.

According to the MPI’s own report, the MPI have carefully and purposely orchestrated a systematic practice of high grading and unreported discard for the commercial industry to follow without fear of prosecution for the sole purposes of gaining extra value to the export industry, all to the detriment of the fishery itself.

If the inquiry initiated by the Director General MPI proves that his Ministry associates were aware of the failings of the Commercial Fishing Industry and the MPI Fisheries, then they must resign; policy and attitudes within the MPI Fisheries have to change.

As the minister Nathan Guy continues to deny that he has known nothing about the fishing industries practices, is disgraceful, and for his management to support him in their repeated denials shows the public of NZ, how rotten they could be to the very core, to the highest levels.

For the public of New Zealand to have any restoration of faith in the MPI, the top three managers should

Southern Ocean Chilly Bins

- Rotten to the very core

resign. That is Scott Gallacher, Deputy Director General; Dave Turner, Director of Fisheries Management and Steve Halley, Director of Inshore Fisheries; who have shown and displayed deliberate incompetence in the management of the fishery. Surely Steve Halley Director of Inshore must have known of these issues and chosen to be quiet.

New Zealand cannot afford to have people in such important economic positions, shown to the world to be so corrupt, (if proven) as we are purportedly world leaders in fisheries practices.

The Prime Minister and Minister of MPI are just public servants, and for them to have ignored and rebutted our articles, could show that they were fully aware of the levels of corruption and conduct within the ranks of the MPI – yet they have failed their constituents and the wider public, in not taking the appropriate actions.

We believe their lack of action has been, a deliberate attempt to cover-up the failings of the Commercial Fishing Industry and the MPI, as they have pursued John Keys ‘export double mandate’.

We think that that is highly likely and could show that this government has no consideration or respect for recreational fishers or the inshore fishery, and what we bring the economy of New Zealand, whatsoever.

MPI has announced an “independent review” into its handling of the illegal discarding of fish, which only covers two the internal Ministry investigations, Operations Achilles and Hippocamp.”

The public concern is that the proposed investigation into the dumping, wastage and cover-ups by the MPI does not go far enough, and that only a full Ministerial review into the Quota Management System will be sufficient to allay widespread public concern that the Ministry has been completely corrupted by commercial interests.

The recent University of Auckland “Reconstruction of marine fisheries catches for New Zealand (19502010)” albeit out of date, covers historical and extensive problems in monitoring commercial catch and fishers behaviour, and calls into question the effectiveness of the Quota Management System.

The MPI cannot and should not be trusted to define the boundaries of its own internal investigation due to its current record.

The proposed review, the terms of reference and the independent investigator, should be upgraded to a full ministerial enquiry by the Director General Martyn Dunne, along with the involvement of the Ombudsman.

We believe that the minister has been fully aware of the irregularities within his ministry but has chosen to be absent from the issues, leaving it up to his incompetent officials to defend themselves.

Michael Morrah from TVNZ has to be congratulated on his tenacity, courage and integrity on helping make these issues public. He is a very trustworthy and conscientious journalist that has the interests of the recreational fisher and the natural resource at heart.

‘start checking those whitebait nets’

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Hot Smoked Trout (Rainbow)

By Wayne Dil

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Kuaotunu Fire Brigade fishing comp

as a concrete driveway or cobblestones. Simply place your smoke box over the top of the burners and don’t forget to light it first.

Editor Graham Carter mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz 021 02600437 Graphics: Astro Creative Photography: Sandi Tuan Regular Writers: Graham Carter James Speedy Ben Hope Frank Henry Dick Featherstone Tony Orman Rhys Smith John McNab Fishing and Outdoors is published by Ashwood Grove Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the contributors, editor, staff and management or directors of Ashwood Grove Ltd.

Last years winner Jason Hoyland with his 4.3kg snapper

First catch your trout

Step Three Place your fish on the rack provided with the smoke box. Sprinkle some wood chips in the bottom, about half a handful. Place your rack inside the smoke box followed by the lead on top. Grab a beer and patiently wait about 35 minutes.

Unsolicitored editorial, letters, photographs will only be returned if you include a stamped, self addressed envelope.

Copyright © 2011 Fishing Outdoors Newspaper, All Rights Reserved.

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There is a seniors and juniors division which is under 12 years old. It is our major fundraiser for the year and we use the money to buy much needed equipment for our fire brigade.

Cost is $30 per rod for seniors and $25 per rod for juniors.

There is a great prize for earlybird entries which close on the 17th June.

If anybody wants to enter they can email Dugald on dlhoyland@xtra.co.nz and he will send out an entry form.

MPI suppresses Maui’s dolphin death

ISSN 1179-5034

www.fishingoutdoors.org

The surfcasting competition has been running for around 20 years and this year it is fished on Saturday 2nd July.

Briefing is at the fire station in Kuaotunu on Friday the 1st July and starts at 7pm.

Fishing starts on the Saturday at 5.30am and lines out are at 4pm.

Prize giving generally starts at around 630pm on the Saturday night.

We have around 250 anglers that enter and there is a boundary to where you can fish - from Matapaua Bay to Suckers Rock.

Step One Split your fish down the middle, lay it skin down and sprinkle half a handful of brown sugar and a sprinkle of salt. Place in the fridge overnight.

Step Two Put your methylated spirit trays on a non-inflammable surface, such

An investigation by German conservation group NABU International revealed that New Zealand officials and fishermen have concealed the death of an extremely rare Maui’s dolphin in a commercial fishing net.

A statement that describes how a Maui’s dolphin was caught in a gillnet outside the area in which the dolphins are protected from this fishing method.

The incidence does not appear in the official bycatch database and was denied by Government officials and industry representatives.

When you consider that number of requests by individuals and groups for the government to take action to protect these endangered species of dolphin, the fact that one more has died is disgusting.

The government, DoC and MPI have the authority to stop commercial fishing in these areas but choose to ignore the plight of these little critters. A bad decision considering the next elections are just around the corner.

A ban on commercial trawling inside 25 nautical miles where these dolphin swim is critical. It is unnecessary for the trawlers to fish here as they can operate and catch their target species outside 25 nm.

“The document we secured describes that MPI officials failed to record the dolphin’s death and sought to suppress the incident by informing the eyewitness on board the fishing vessel that he “had seen nothing”.

Less than a fifth of Maui’s dolphin habitat is protected from gillnets and just five percent from trawling.

Made public, the dolphin’s death is likely to have sparked urgent demands for further fishing restrictions.

“We are deeply shocked and disappointed by these revelations, which call into question New Zealand’s sincerity over the dolphins’ protection,” says Dr Barbara Maas, Head

of Endangered Species Conservation at NABU International. The New Zealand Government has gone to great lengths to convince the public that Maui’s dolphins are well protected, that none are seen outside the protected area or caught in nets.

Today’s news represents a serious breach of trust and does not bode well for Maui’s dolphin survival.”

“Given a population of less than 50 individuals that continues to decline because of fishing, we call for the immediate extension of the protected area to cover all of the dolphins’ habitat.

This corresponds to recommendations the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) have been making repeatedly since 2012.”

Fewer than 50 Maui’s dolphins survive off the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, making Maui’s the rarest marine dolphin on earth. Experts estimate that the tiny population can sustain just one human caused fatality every 10-23 years. Fisheries bycatch alone accounts for 3-4 Maui’s dolphin deaths per year - more than 54 times the sustainable level.

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BRAG PAGE

Dion Read caught this nice 12 pound snapper on the West Coast off Piha Beach.

Send your photos into mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz

Cooper Wood at 21 months loving his kahawai off the Whitianga wharf.

Shirley Wu strikes again Amanda Burgess at Coromandel with her 5.6kg snapper Harry Reed age 6 from Hamilton caught this nice Rainbow Trout jigging on Lake Tarawera.

Lions Club Mussel Fritter tent - Fred, Rick, Pam, Anne, Jocelyn and David.

Famous Coromandel Mussel fritters by the local Lions Club sold out in 3 hours.

Photos depicting the huge crowd and exhibitors at the Coromandel Seafood festival in early May.

Jason Dassler of Dargaville Kayaks enjoyed a great opening weekend of on the water Duck shooting and fishing on the Kaipara

DoC INTO SOCIAL MEDIA In a recent Target Taupo dated October 2015 #67 (P12) an interesting article headed: FACE[BOOK] TIME WITH TAUPO TROUT FISHERY DOC’s Facebook for the Taupo Fishery is: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/ places-to-visit/tongarirotaupo/target-taupo-67.pdf We were interested in DOC’s Facebook progress and had a look.

DOC advise - quote: “Now that our Facebook page has been up and running for a year or two we are starting to get quite an audience, with more than 1500 followers.” etc. and go on to say it is a place for light, easy-to-read messages and information about the jobs we do, and information that is immediately interesting to anglers - such as track closures - plus analysis to indicate how popular the fb is compared to videos, etc.

Recently a source was asked by a flyfisherman, for more info on a number of fishing access tracks which have been closed including the vehicle access into the Waiotaka River and many of the access tracks in the lower river on the Tongariro which have been blocked off.

(This was not a complaint - anglers feedback has all been positive on

TARGET TAUPO

stopping vehicles to access the lower river banks which have too often been used as a local tip.)

So we thought that the DoC fb would be the ideal place to check? Yeah right.

So far in 2016 the DoC FB has two entries, their last entry was dated 25 January and prior to that was 12 January. OK? Check it out...

What can we say? In the same issue their manager - Kim Alexander-Turia - advises of their smaller team of eight staff focusing on innovation using allweather rugged tablets to record angler surveys etc...

Sadly, Tongariro anglers are constantly critical of Taupo fishery management as they fail the fishery in many areas.

In a recent post on FB a well-known fishing guide responded to a reason for falling fishing licence sales by commenting: “DOC ... that’s what went wrong. Word is they are about to give away management of the Taupo fishery totally ... it may even be a done deal.” Interesting....

We have been advised the Fishery Manager Kim Alexander-Turia has

#67 Issue 67 / October 2015

A MAGAZINE FOR TAUPO ANGLERS

Girls on the fly

A hardening facility; what’s that?

More fish... more catch for all?

now been transferred to Tuwharetoa. One would imagine that anglers would have been kept up-todate of management changes by regular updates on DOC’s FB too?

We have also heard that DoC is begging the government for more funding so they can keep their staff. Maybe DoC should be disbanded and everything handed to Fish and Game to do a proper job!

FISH RESCUED AFTER RIVER DRIES UP The river is a tributary of the Ashwhich cur- ley River, downstream of rently has a where they were rescued from. river stage The Waikuku Water Management height of just Group recently won a Working with five centime- Nature environmental award from tres at the North Canterbury Fish & Game Cones Road for their work on restoring the Bridge near stream, so it was fitting that the Rangiora rescued fish were released into this had a flow healthy habitat, Mr Hawker says. of around 60 All of the problems regarding centimetres water shortages and low levels a year ago. of water stems from irrigation.

“No doubt it’s The rivers in the McKenzie country Fish & Game staff rescue fish trapped in pools on the rapidly been a dry lose a lot of water in dry summers year and while and the councils know this but have drying Ashley River near Rangiora. groundwater made no allowances to stop the irNorth Canterbury Fish & Game consent holders close to the rigation take - while rivers are 60% staff have rescued more than river will have restrictions when the low irrigation take is up 60%. Pho40 fish in a fish salvage op- river’s low, those consent holders tos Richard Cosgrove - Fish & Game. eration in the Ashley River. that are a bit furConcerned members of the public ther away have had alerted Fish & Game to some no restriction.” isolated pools of fish in the river Native species which has rapidly dried up recently. such as eels Fish & Game Field Officer Tony were also recovHawker says it is quite unu- ered by Fish & sual for them to be doing this Game including type of operation in May. a longfin eel that Normally staff keep a watch on the was estimated river in the height of summer around to be at least Christmas and launch salvage 80 years-old. operations when the flow drops. All fish were “But with no rain recently and irriga- released into tors still able to take water, the Ashley the Waikuku Fish & Game staff rescue fish trapped in pools on the rapidly has un-seasonally dried up,” he says. Stream, which drying Ashley River near Rangiora.

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Coromandel Fish & Dive Report FISH FOR CASH 2016 What amazing weather we have been having. If you didn’t get a chance to go to the Seafood Fest on the 7th May you missed a great day, there was a great variety of stalls selling different styles of seafood and a mixture of craft stalls with an area set aside for the children with Face Painting and a Bouncy Castle, Derek the Chef had 4 different dishes to cook and the cook off between Success Café, Umu and Pepper Tree drew a large crowd to the Marquee. Hank Codlin

from Salty Towers Bait gave a superb fish filleting demonstration, reminding fishers to always use salt ice for storing caught fish; and the opening of the oysters was popular as well.

The fishing competition was a failure with only had a few entries but the kids loved it and all those that were still there at prize giving got a prize.

The weather even played the game and it was fine and warm.

Now for the serious stuff, those coming into the shop have all been

Poachers get jail time Fish and Game says the jailing of a second man in a large-scale poaching case – sends a strong message that trout poaching is taken seriously by the courts and wouldbe poachers need to “take note.”

David Pake Leef aged 37 has been sentenced to a total of four months jail in the Rotorua District Court.

The pair, Leef and Thomas Tawha 43, and were convicted in November 2014 of poaching as many as 60

spawning trout from a highly valued spawning stream near Lake Rotoiti.

Thomas Tawha, of Kawerau, was jailed for 6 months in April last year.

But Leef failed to appear for sentence, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He was arrested last week and remanded in custody to appear in the Rotorua District Court.

Judge McGuire sentenced him to a total of four months jail on trout poaching and breach of bail charges.

getting their fair share of snapper, still plenty of Kahawai around and some very nice size Kingis.

A little bit of talk about Crays being caught but as usual no locations have been given.

And remember when you come in to get your supplies we are always up for a fishing chat.

And as they say in the fishing world ‘Tight Lines”

The judge told the court that Leef had no right to take trout, either legally, or under tikanga.

Fish and Game officer earlier described the case as the worst they’d seen in Rotorua in a decade, adding that the scale of the offending with so many fish in prime breeding condition involved was disturbing.

Fish and Game noted that poaching impacts on the region’s economy, because it relies heavily on tour- What a fabulous day it was, the ism and visiting anglers spend mil- weather was perfect and the peolions of dollars every year in the area. ple kept coming in all day. We es-

could exceed the permitted amount.

“There has been a very significant public investment in the protection of Lake Taupo and it is important we hold people to account when they breach the rules,” said the council’s farming services manager Nicole Botherway.

“A warning is judged appropriate in this case, given the admission of fault and the amount of excess nitrogen likely to have been involved. But any further breaches by the parties could warrant a more significant response.”

The case follows a similar one last year where a farmer who failed

the heaviest Piper and Parore.

All contestants must be registered at the venue first before weighing in any fish.

Contestants must carry their Tournament ID card with them at all times.

Random inspections will take place throughout the tournament. One ID card per person. ID cards are not exchangeable between anglers and you risk disqualification if you do not have your Tournament ID card on you.

All persons aboard a boat must have a Tournament ID card on them or all persons aboard and the boat will be disqualified from the tournament.

No prizes will be issued without valid proof of identity.

If your Tournament ID card is lost or stolen, please let the tournament organizers know immediately. In this scenario a replacement

Coro Seafood festival

Formal warnings over second Taupo nitrogen breach A Waikato company and a landowner have both received a formal warning after a breach of rules designed to protect Lake Taupo from nitrogen leaching.

The formal warnings, from Waikato Regional Council, will be taken into account should there be any other breaches in future.

The complicated case involved the company grazing stock, for at least a month, on land that was only supposed to be used for forestry. That means the amount of nitrogen leaching from the land to the lake over time, due to the cattle being grazed there,

As always in The Bounty Hunter Fishing Tournament History, there are some awesome cash rewards and spot prizes. Sign up on their Facebook page to follow the development as more and more prizes are being added.

The Friday prizes include $20,000-worth of Spot Prize Give-aways.

The Prize Giving is to be held at The Top Pub at 6.30pm Friday July 1st 2016.

The Best Overall Prizes drawn on the Saturday are based on the heaviest fish weighed in first. The Prize Giving will be held at The Top Pub at 6.30pm Saturday 2nd July 2016.

Category prizes are as follows for each of these categories: Kingfish, Snapper, Kahawai, Trevally, and John Dory 1st $5,000; 2nd $1,500; 3rd $500; 4th $200.

There is a $1000 prize each for

to meet his farming consent conditions near Taupo was also formally warned over the breach.

“Local people, the council and the trust are determined to protect the integrity of the rules protecting Lake Taupo. We will continue to respond to reports of breaches of consent conditions and take action where appropriate,” said Mrs Botherway.

“We need the public to be our eyes and ears and, if they see cattle grazing in forestry areas.

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timate around 1500 – 2000 people attended. As this was the inaugural fest we were not sure how well it would be supported and were

overwhelmed with the response.

Derek the Chef, the oyster shucking competition, fish filleting demonstrations, and the Cook off were favourites among the crowds.

A wide variety of food stalls, arts and crafts and clothing which were

card will be available at the event.

Entry to the tournament is at the discretion of the tournament organizers and will only be complete when accepted by the organizers. If entry is refused, the entry fee will be refunded.

The organizers reserve the right to cancel the registration of any contestant whose conduct in the organizers’ opinion is contrary to the spirit in which the fishing tournament is run.

The decision of the organizers in this matter is final. No refunds will be given.

Purchasing a ticket constitutes acceptance of the rules and regulations covering the tournament, and all contestants agree to abide by the organizers and judges decisions.

If you have any issues around your payment, or the amount you have been charged please call Stan on 07 866 8760 or 0274 345 226, or send an email to info@thebountyhunter.co.nz

well supported and all of the stall holders want to return next year.

Live music provided by local artists was also an attraction.

The Marine Art Exhibition and the Wearable Arts were also well received and sparked interest from locals to enter next year.

The date for next year is to be confirmed.

Deliberate and calculated perversion of justice The Achilles and Hippocamp reports state categorically that the MPI have known for a long time that the commercial industry, have been dumping large amounts of fish.

The MPI ordered a review using five boats from Timaru; they talked the commercial fishers into carrying out the study using observers and cameras for the purposes of establishing the true amount of discard.

What they found out was the amount of deliberate discard in the form of high-grading and the cutting of fish. When the MPI discovered the enormity of this offending they then had an across the board review (hour by hour) of all available camera footage across all five boats.

This was to establish a better understanding of the total percentage of overall discard and level of offending.

What the MPI found was accidental loss plus deliberate high-grading, deliberate cutting of fish, and deliberate non-reporting with monitoring equipment being turned off.

MPI have the power to fine, or prosecute and confiscate boats for these breaches of the law, and in this instance they have deliberately chosen not too.

What the MPI have done or not done with these results is the issue here. The answer is NOTHING. To state that this is part of an ongoing enquiry would be absolute rubbish as the MPI’s instruction was for staff to suppress the documents, because they knew that if the reports were made public it would cause public outcry, and MPI embarrassment.

The MPI have difficulty managing the fishery when attempting to put the quota or ACE down as they will be prosecuted by the commercial fishing industry. Already the commercial fishers have sued the MPI for attempting to reduce the ACE on Orange Roughy. If Iwi are caught offending quota can’t be taken off them only the fishermen can be prosecuted due to the Treaty of Waitangi.

So why have the MPI taken no action: 1.

The MPI don’t want those four boats to disappear – because of the ‘export double mandate’.

2.

Because the MPI determined that fishery was healthy and could sustain the 35% losses so they accepted the actions by the commercial fishers and subsequent losses as acceptable.

3.

They failed to prosecute and confiscate the boats as the commercial are continually seeking more quota, and the study shows that the fish are available in these areas, not easily accessible by recreational fishers.

4.

Catching these higher value fish and discarding unwanted size and species is acceptable by the MPI and they are happy with 35% collateral losses and that this rate of discard is acceptable. Mean-

while the recreational and Customary fishers find this unacceptable.

If the MPI were more concerned with the fishery and not the ‘export double mandate’ they would have confiscated the four offending boats but they have deliberately chosen not to prosecute and take the required action or done what they can do.

To put the quota down or change the amount of quota to be caught, the MPI need good science, which takes time and money.

This is why the Canadian fishery is so good it doesn’t need the science and they can go on the catch quota, check the catch records of the previous season, and then make a judgement on

the next season. At the moment to current system is too slow as while they are doing their assessments the commercial fishers are still catching.

But the government and the commercial fishers don’t want to introduce this Canadian system as they seek to fulfil the ‘export double mandate.’

What it doesn’t take into account the ability for other boats to come in and fish the same area again, immediately after it has already been fished.

Clearly the decision not to prosecute in accordance with the legislation part of the Quota Management system legislation is a clear, purposeful and calculated management decision by the MPI.

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Book review BUSH BLOCK

By Kerry Butler

If the first book reviewed by Kerry Butler ‘Blimmin Heck’ was a ripper then this novel is a real cracker.

Full of the everyday events any young fella would encounter, brought up in a rural community from life’s ups and downs, to the sweet joys that life in the bush brings.

Anyone that appreciates these qualities would enjoy the book which follows the outdoor adventures of Joe, who could easily have been the name of any young chap taking his journey through life under the watchful eye of a caring Uncle.

‘Bush Block’ certainly brought

back some wonderful memories for me, of my youthful days wandering around my uncles farm.

Families are special for those that have the opportunity to be involved in life’s journey, and loved by them. Some are not so fortunate and have to make their way, shunned and unloved.

This book shares the journey of a young chap that doesn’t find life as easy as others, but who has a heart of gold, and the caliber of a young man that is tenacious, courageous and bold.

As the book says: success doesn’t happen by chance. Life is what you make of it. Opportunities that arise along the way have to be grasped, and most importantly, appreciated by making the most of them. Life is not easy.

A worthy book for any shelf.

Copies available for $15.00, at 06 856 5737 or kb@farmside.co.nz

Commercial fishing industry biting the hand that feeds it The Commercial Fishing Industry have a nerve taking the government to court after all the government has done for them over the past few years, especially after our beloved Prime Minster announced that he was making the Kermadec Islands into a Marine Reserve.

The government have gone into partnership on the development of the new Tiaki PSH net. Sure they are working frantically to get it up and going after winning an award but they’re miles from success. The money spent on the research and development of the new PSH net system of live capture is reported to cost 48 million dollars of which half belongs to taxpayers. Yet the net wins an award three years before completion – go figure.

There has been huge money spent on the commercial fishers benefiting private shareholders and the development of the industry to make those businesses more successful and hence the quota owners and fishing companies are made more wealthy.

The actual commercial fishers get a small increase but it’s the fishing companies and quota owners that get most of the benefits.

Who is going to benefit from the huge payouts the government will have to fork out to enact the Kermadec Reserve, it sure as eggs won’t be the commercial fisherman, the payout will go straight into the pockets of the quota owners, shareholders and commercial fishing industry.

The Kermadec region comprises about 15% of NZ’s ocean environment and accounts for 0.004% of the value of NZ’s fish catch.

These are the guys that were given a free wild fishery and have put very little back into it, to make it an abundant sustainable fishery. Their PR machine tells a different story to what is really happening on the water. But the truth is slowly being revealed.

Now we find out that these guys are so ungrateful they are taking the government to court. This means that the government will have to defend itself with more taxpayer money, that really should be going to essential services, like hospitals, police, schools and so on.

The commercial fishing industry in

NZ are just not employing enough people anymore to make a real difference to our economy, as most processing goes offshore, and the government need to turn their back on them, as they continually stoop to all ways of flouting the laws of the sea. The industry is just not worth the damage they are doing anymore.

The deep water fishery has continued to have quota cuts as they are continually fishing higher than the maximum sustainable level.

If they have to keep putting the quota down then they’ve got the management of the fishery wrong.

We could have a really good commercial fishing industry, and could be in a position to have the wealthiest fishery in the world by catching less fish, but as the system stands at the moment by 2050 we will be like everybody else in the world and have to rely on farmed fish because the oceans will be void of the natural wild fishery.

The time has come to realize where the government are truly benefiting from the fishery, and that has been proven to be the recreational sector, where the government, if it had any brains would be spending its investment money on, to get a real measureable return, instead of pouring millions into an old fashioned industry, that’s in denial.

The government has been 100 percent loyal to the commercial fishing industry to the detriment of the fish and the recreational fishing sector, which brings far more benefit to our economy.

If it wasn’t for the cost to the taxpayer this whole Kermadec Court saga, would be funny.

I mean when two good friends fall out in public it’s like one of those comedy divorce movies on TV. But there is one small point to consider.

Why? The Kermadec Islands are a long way away. Surely the commercial stakeholders could see it is far better for them to have 15% of our water locked up in reserves, a1000nm away than the economic loss, of having the same size reserve closer to home.

Not to mention the disaster it would be for the recreational and customary fishers with so much of the coast shut up forever. So, is this

SPECIAL DIRECT PRICE

$15.00

Phone the author 06 856 5737 kb@farmside.co.nz

about pride, greed, money or pure corruption. They stand to get millions of dollars handed to them on a plate as they try to prove the value of the fishery when the truth is they hardly spend any time fishing there because of the distance and cost.

So what are they up too. Time will tell but it doesn’t look good for the taxpayer who is again going to be fleeced by the Fishing Industry.

Once again John Key’s ‘Think Big’ policy of ‘doubling the export value’ has back fired, rather than considering the economic benefit that a million recreational fishers, that are increasing every day, put into local economies.

Key has backed the wrong horse in every conceivable way. As the recreational fishing industry bring in more to the economy, than the commercial industry and only take 6% of the fish stock. Had Key backed the development of the fishing tourism industry he would have got a million more votes for himself instead of creating a lot of anti-national supporters.

While the Maoris are busy building five new boats to target the pelagic fish, they are not doing anything to win favour amongst the general public as they follow this track of suing the government under the guise of being hurt, for an area they have done little fishing in. So either they still want to fish there or they have been fishing there and not telling anyone.

As our Government has just found out, the commercial fishing industry has no friends, it’s all about the money, greed and corruption.

From the moment the Government gave them the rights to the fishery, the commercial fishing industry, have done nothing but slap them in the face.

So how much has it cost, for the Minister Nathan Guy and the Director of Fisheries Management David Turner to try and ‘double the export value’ of the fishery, when at every turn they get a slap in the face from commercial fishing.

We will never really know. But I have a message for all those in the MPI who have worked extremely hard to build the wealth of other people’s assets, SUCKED IN.

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7

Moratorium needed on marine reserves Some wannabe facebook scientist has been going around touting the benefits of establishing more marine reserves when the truth is he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

He says his science is telling him that the areas around already established reserves are barren of fish, when the reserves are flourishing, and stating vigorously that we need more marine reserves. His point of view is that this is great and sure it might be great economically for the tourism industry, but it’s not very good ecologically for the fish or in fact the reserves if you take a close hard look at what’s really going on.

What he is ignoring is the fact that most of the already established marine reserves have sea boundaries, which are longer than the land boundary of the reserve.

By having a long sea boundary it allows both commercial and recreational fishers to anchor near the boundary, attract fish out with berley and this explains the barren area around the reserve. Common sense to most.

Stating that the marine reserves formed and managed in this manner work extremely well is very narrow and bias thinking which is not what science tells us or what the fish want.

The only marine reserve that will work effectively is one with a short sea boundary and long land boundaries.

The fact is that we should not introduce or even think about introducing any more marine reserves, until after the commercial have been kicked out of the Hauraki Gulf. This will then

allow the scientists to measure the growth and increase of fish with only recreational participation in catching them. There’s no point in creating more marine reserves in amongst a recreational fishing reserve as it may be totally unnecessary.

What is needed is a Moratorium on not establishing any more inshore marine reserves until the science is completed, to ascertain if there is in fact a need for more Marine Reserves.

Science must take a close look at the impact that recreational fishers will have on the Hauraki Gulf, do the science properly. This will give the MPI the ammunition they need to ban commercial fishing outside 12 nautical miles around New Zealand, and to create one massive recreational fishing reserve.

New Zealand could well be the a world leader and be the first country in the world to do this and be the champion of many nations that have had their fish stocks depleted through overfishing.

Having moratorium will also benefit our inshore fish stocks because the seasonal aspects of fishing haven’t been taken into account enough.

By the science and scientists whereas the commercial fishing has a constant reporting and pressure on the fishery.

If you go out on the Hauraki Gulf on any one weekend, there any hundreds of boats throughout the summer having family fun, and they come from all corners of New Zealand to enjoy what the Gulf has to offer, benefiting all coastal town economy’s.

But it’s a different story in the winter

when there’s few boats and even less divers. These coastal towns require the summer boaties and fishers to keep them alive, especially with John Key’s government running rabid.

Having more marine reserves could deprive a good portion of these towns of their incomes, as why would fishers or divers go to the reserves.

With the ever increasing Auckland and Waikato boating, fishing and diving fraternity, those folk need somewhere to go and have fun, catching fish and boating or diving.

In a lot of these cases it’s easier to put a moratorium on something to monitor the fishery than to cart blanche put a reserve which is there forever.

Its more commonsense to do the science and then ascertain if it’s at all necessary.

Down in the South Island the government need to make more recreational fishing only reserves and monitor the impact, gauge the kelp growth, and the return of the fish, size etc.

We also need to ensure that regional and local councils butt out for five years minimum 2021, until the moratorium and science have been completed. The management of the fisheries belongs to one department the MPI not local and regional councils. Sure the MPI need many lessons on true fisheries management as their records are deplorable for a department that has had commercial catch returns for many years and still don’t know how to read them.

If the fish stocks improve then a five year extension could be applied for.

Strong support for Kermadec Sanctuary A poll showing 89 per cent of New Zealanders support the proposed new sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands reinforces the wide mandate for progressing this ocean protection initiative, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This 89 per cent level of support for the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, which was announced by Prime Minister John Key last year, is phenomenal and the highest I can recall for any political issue in a poll.

It shows this initiative connects with New Zealand’s core values.

“New Zealanders have a strong cultural association with the

ocean from our geography, as well as our Maori and European heritage. We are also very aware of the threats to the ocean environment thanks to the advocacy of people such as the late Sir Peter Blake, and we want New Zealand to be leading in marine protection.”

This makes a mockery of the MPI and commercial fishing industry as the Simmons Report shows the level of bad management that the MPI and the industry are in as Smith acknowledges the importance of our oceans and the necessity for good fishing management.

The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary

Seek local Knowledge On my recent travels, fishing with the kontiki on the east and west coasts of New Zealand, I noticed something that was still not right with many kontiki operators.

I’ve been kontiki fishing for many years and when some-

one starts complaining or criticizing us my ears prick up.

What I’ve found is that a high number of kontiki operators are still getting their lines tangled up or lines cut by rocks or obstacles in the water. The tangled and cut lines can

Avoiding hazards When it comes to avoiding hazards some kontiki operators need to read my book titled: Fishing Unique Kontiki Ways.

Here is a check list to avoid problems when Kontiki fishing and have an enjoyable day.

Stay away from swimmers, surf board riders also stay away from other kontiki operators by at least 500 to 1000 metres or 3280 feet as this will avoid tangles and troubles.

When coming down to the beach, if another Kontiki operator already has a Kontiki out at sea, discuss with them where about their line is

- Steve O’Brien

- By Steve O’Brien

or go fish further down the beach.

Have a pair of Binoculars to spot any crab pots, nets or boats in the area at sea. It is safer to put the Kontiki out on a full tide compared to a low tide. With a low tide the Kontiki can get caught up on a sand bank and so you take the risk of having to retrieve the Kontiki or if you put the Kontiki out again. Once you got the Kontiki out you would have to make sure you can return to shore safely.

Always have a flag on your Kontiki. Always have a strobe light operating at night. Put sinkers on the line to avoid the line get-

fully protects the 620,000 square kilometre area of the Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding the Kermadec Islands, an area the size of France. The area is renowned for its depth of ocean; at more than 10km, it is the second deepest trench in the world. It also has the longest underwater arc of volcanoes, with more than 50, and is home to six million seabirds and 35 species of whale and dolphin.

The Bill creating the sanctuary gained unanimous support from all political parties.

be avoided if kontiki fishing people, would seek local knowledge as most of the locals know the area to be fished well and so know where the rocks and debris is in the water.

Local information can save heart ache and money, and allow you to have a successful day.

Steve is your Kontiki guide and author of Fishing Unique Kontiki Ways ting cut by a boat or surf ski. Be aware of weather conditions, tide times, wind angles, rips waves. www.marineweather.co.nz or www.tideforfishing.com Animals on the beach. Watch for dogs or seagulls they love baited hooks. A lot of people let their dog run freely on the beach, so there is not a lot of control over their dogs.

Dog owners amaze me; they see you are fishing. They know knifes and hooks are involved with fishing, and yet they don’t think twice about keeping their dog away from the area in which you are fishing.

Steve is the author of ‘Fishing Unique Kontiki Ways’

A middle-aged frumpy couple returned to a boat dealership where the salesman has just sold the fiberglass boat they were interested in to a beautiful, leggy, busty blonde.

“I thought you said you would hold that boat till we raised the $175,000 asking price,” said the man.

“Yet I just heard you close the deal for $155, 000 to the lovely young lady there. You insisted there could be no discount on this model.”

“Well, what can I tell you? She had the ready cash and, just look at her, how could I resist?” replied the grinning salesman.

Just then the young woman approached the middle-aged couple and gave them the keys.

“There you go,” she said. “I told you I would get the dope to reduce it. See you later, dad.” Never mess with the old uns!

8

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Something nifty - the Inflatable Fishing Kayak

One of the most versatile kayaks available on the market the Nifty boat can be used for fishing, diving, hunting, white baiting or just exploring and are a great alternative to a normal plastic kayak.

Weighing in at only 30 kgs, a Nifty Boat can be quickly deflated to roll up to fit inside its carry bag to be carried in the boot of your vehicle, and is easily launched by one person, and with a rated carrying capacity of 225 kg, and can carry 1-3 persons.

The boat and accessories are well made and fit for pretty much any purpose, and it comes with a oneyear warranty. Unpacking and inflating the Nifty boat is quick and easy, as it comes with a good bellows pump and more than adequate nonreturn valves. It takes about 10 minutes to inflate which includes pumping up the separate inflatable floor.

Simply put the Nifty boat is a cross be-

tween a float tube and an inflatable boat, with fixed oars and a comfortable seat and offers all the comforts.

With a beam of only 1.1m, the Nifty is rather canoe-like, but is fitted with fixed oars, not paddles, and a conventional inflatable dinghy transom.

The Nifty comes in a selection of colours, including camo version which is a stunner.

The manufacturer recommends the use of nothing larger than a 3.5 hp outboard and according to Nifty’s New Zealand agent, the boats work well with a 2.5 hp.

The seats are simple aluminium benches secured across

BOATS

the tops of the pontoons, with the rear seat being padded.

Should any water come on board while out in your lake or at sea a sliding valve opens the transom scupper to drain water out while the boat’s underway.

The Nifty is an excellent small boat designed especially for inshore and sheltered water fishing, on lakes and even slow-moving rivers. The camo version would be good for duck shooters. You could fit a small electric motor instead of a petrol outboard to maintain a quiet approach if required.

The Nifty boat is very compact and easily transported in the back of the car or inflated on a roof rack.

It’s very quick to inflate or deflate, and it’s also light enough to carry over short distances.

The Nifty is well priced at $1599 incl GST and includes freight anywhere in NZ.

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Beach patrols to educate dog owners Tauranga City Council’s Animal Services Officers are reminding dog owners that while they might enjoy a walk along the beach, their pets aren’t always allowed to tag along with them.

The team has recently started patrolling Mt Maunganui and Papamoa beaches, to educate owners on their responsibilities and raise awareness of restricted exercise areas.

Animal Services Team Leader Brent Lincoln said dog owners could exercise their pets almost anywhere in Tauranga as long as the animal was under control. However, there were some places where owners were not allowed to take their dog, for ecological reasons or because the areas were used intensively by the public.

“These patrols are all about us getting out there to ask our community to do the right thing and exercise their dogs on our beaches within the rules – that is, control their dogs effectively, dispose of their droppings properly, keep them on leads when required, and keep them away from restricted areas.”

“We want to continue to welcome dogs on our parks, reserves and some areas of our beaches. We’re getting out there in the community to help our dog owners to do the right thing, so everyone can enjoy our beautiful open spaces.”

Dogs must be leashed if they are likely to cause danger, distress or nuisance, or if walking near a public road. Dog owners must also carry a leash at all times in case they need to secure their pet.

Dogs must be on a leash at all times in

Matua Salt Marsh and in the Papamoa Dune Wilderness Area between Papamoa Domain and Taylor Road.

Dogs are not allowed in the following areas: Beaches: Mount Maunganui main beach, from Moturiki (Leisure) Island up to and including Mauao; Pilot Bay from Mauao to Salisbury Avenue; on

Omanu Beach, within 200 metres of Omanu Surf Club premises; on Papamoa Beach, within 200 metres of the Papamoa Surf Club premises.

Parks and reserves: Elms Reserve; Mauao including the base track; Moturiki (Leisure) Island; McLaren Falls Park; Papamoa Hills Park.

Lakes - Rivers - Ocean - Estuaries A MUST for all RVs and caravans • Stows away in caravan or motorhome • Very compact • Easy to transport

Packs away into a carry bag

• Extremely stable • 1–3 people • Up to 5hp • 2 year warranty • 7 colours in stock

www.niftyboats.co.nz • info@niftyboats.co.nz • Call Scott on 021 806 612

BOATS

Lakes - Rivers - Ocean - Estuaries

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9

Which is the best Kayak for Ocean and Lake fishing

The Viking Kayak stand at the Hutchwilco Boat Show

Customer Testimonials After a year researching different brands the Viking Profish Reload stood out among the rest. With the ability to add accessories as you require them. I have just purchased the Profish Reload. What can I say, outstanding! Thanks, Andrew.

I spent the last 5 days at my batch and put some mileage on the Profish Reload. I’m loving it more and more each time I go out, and the rougher it is the better it is! I went for a couple of 20km+ paddles with no seat and no foam and was comfy as.

Being fresh water and an enclosed body of water the wind chop/swell on the lake is a lot shorter than the ocean. The Reload just kept on cruis-

ing happy as, and as others have pointed out it is quicker as well.)

We went out for a fish on Saturday and I landed three trout, which was awesome! Thanks, Adrian C I just wanted to say thanks to those involved in the production of the Profish Reload. It’s brilliant; all the little things that are included have been well thought out. It’s also great that I can swap the Tackle Pod to a Kid Pod and take the family out and leave all the fishy stuff in one spot on the Tackle Pod, well done! Regards, Barry M. Tour operator Tim Taylor (NZKayaker.co.nz) uses the Viking Profish 440 for his clients because it’s very stable and easy to paddle, plus it

can carry a huge amount of gear if needed - read the review below: I got out for the first time yesterday and had an absolute ball. I felt at ease in my Viking Profish 400 the whole time, and even caught my first ever snapper. The sun was setting with the horizon turning deep orange-red. The whole deal was just fantastic. Did I mention the pod of dolphins swimming by us on the way out! Within 2 hours we were enjoying fillets for dinner - just magic. - Cheers, RT Once again thank you for the great customer support........A lot of other companies could learn from you people. - Thanks Nathan R. Review on the Viking Profish 440 – the workhorse of the NZ Kayaker fleet.

Written by Tim Taylor On the water: Touching in a 4.4 meters long the 440 is a big girl.

Her length is what gives the room to carry so much equipment while maintaining a relatively high hull speed through the water. For the average person this means a speed of 5-6km per hour, and for a good paddler more like 7. This is great when you consider how much gear us kayak fishermen typically carry.

With a width of 770mm she is a girl that has a big bum (and we all love a bit of booty!) What we love about hers is that it’s flat, which means that she’s stable. My customers regularly comment on how safe a sturdy this kayak feels, and that’s purely down to the fact that

it - pliers, knife, and a few hunks of bait. In the her flat hull keeps her locked to the rear is the fish water, which reduces the rolling ef- hold. Like the fect that’s common in other kayaks. tackle well, it’s nothing speFishing: Without a doubt fishing cial but add in is what this kayak is designed for. a fish pod and With eight rod holders, a front, you’ve got a lot rear and tackle well, it’s fair to say more versatility. that she can carry a fair amount of kit. My personal best is four rods, Cruising: Let’s associated tackle, free diving kit, face it…the a limit of scallops and crays plus a average kayak few snapper. This was all for one big fisherman alday of adventure out around Motiti ways has to Island…and what a day it was! get permission Storage capacity is fairly critical for from the war kayak fishermen and I believe that department bethe 440 has got most things cov- fore they buy a ered. In the front is the open gear kayak. Their typwell. The average person might ical condition think that the front compartment is “it must be is pretty useless in a kayak (because something the you can’t reach it when on the wa- whole family ter) but it really comes into it’s own can use”. That’s when you’re doing longer trips that where the 440 require a lot of gear. This is where I comes into her typically stow my free diving gear own. Yes she’s because it has the space for the big and has all the fishing bling, long fins. It’s also a really handy but the truth is anyone can paddler place for stashing a kingfish if you’re her. I know this because I use her for lucky enough to score one of them. all my scenic kayaking tours…. my In the centre of the kayak in the 28L fleet has done more laps of Mount tackle well. Pretty standard in most Maunganui than most runners! fishing kayaks these days, but add It doesn’t matter if it’s mucking in a tackle pod and it becomes a bit around at the beach or scenic kayamore of a beast. Directly below this king on the lake, the 440 is a great is the softbait storage well. This area kayak for any and all types of trips. was designed to hold a fish finder, So why would you use her over a but anglers found it was more use- sea kayak? For the same two reaful for tackle. Personally I like to sons as we use her for fishing – gear keep my regularly used items in storage and stability. Any adult,

of any ability level, will be able to jump straight on and have a lot of fun. That’s the basic reason why I use them for the NZ Kayaker fleet.

Conclusion: As you can see, I have a soft spot for the 440. She’s proven extremely safe and reliable for me as a tour operator, and I have no doubt that there’s still a place for her in the New Zealand market. To put it simply, if you’re after a stable, responsive, and good all round fishing kayak.

10

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Letters to editor Egmont National Park Dear Sir,

of sea lettuce in the harbour, but over the last 10-15 years, it has steadily got worse. Now we also have it covering our normally pristine ocean beaches in the summer the last 2 or 3 years. This has never occurred before in my lifetime.

I blame this on the highly contaminated dredging that is being dumped in the spoil ground 2-3 kilometres off the beaches since the sheet piling was done and coincides with the huge tonnages of chemicals that are received over the port now.

These chemicals contain phosphate, sulphate, nitrates, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, ammonium, boron, grains, palm kernel, coal etc.

Environment BOP have staff policing pollution all over the Bay, recently taking farmers to court and fining them tens of thousands of dollars for breaching the Resource Management Act. They are either not doing their job as far as the Port is concerned or ignoring the practices going on there. Keeping in mind, they are the major shareholder.

It is great news here in Taranaki, the Egmont National Park will be totally pest free by 1st April 2026.

This is both animal control and vegetation eradication is underway after the Department of Conservation in Taranaki has been given a grant of 24 million dollars over the next ten years by NEXT Foundation, called Project Taranaki Mounga.

This would make the first national park in New Zealand to predator-weed free.

So far the local community is still awaiting with interest, how the department plans to tackle this.

The Egmont National Park, second oldest is the only national park to not have Beech Forest which makes it unique plus is already deer and pigs free.

The questions local park uses are interested in how the staff are going to get the rabbit and hare population eradicated from the sub-alpine and alpine vegetation areas which are thick with them specially during the summer.

Plus how they will eradicate the I have not taken this matter to Envinewest arrival to the park, the ronment BOP, as I am sure the matter rosella parakeets. Watch this space! would not be dealt with properly. I am Ian McAlpine, Stratford hoping that by bringing this information to several people, organisations and departments such a yours will 11th March 2010 serve the purpose that it is intended for.

Dear Sir Stopping the pollution in our RE- Pollution of Tauranga Harbour harbour and our beaches and I have lived in Tauranga for over 60 making the port company reyears and worked for a stevedor- sponsible for this, accountable. ing company at the port for 12 years I am hoping to get some photoup to 2008. I still have contact with graphic evidence of the operation, past work colleagues and nothing but in the interim, the port company in the processes mentioned be- surveillance footage on their own low have changed. I wish to remain security cameras should still be in anonymous at this stage as I have the system. If they were looked at by family in employment at the port. the appropriate authority soon afThe Port of Tauranga handles tens ter a ship (bulk carrier) has departed of thousands of tonnes of bulk fer- it would provide valid evidence . tiliser imports and their system for In a recent article in BOP Times handling this at the waterside gives Sept.18th, Environment BOP scienreason for concern, resulting in pol- tist Stephen Park states that El Nino lution of the Tauranga Harbour. weather patterns bring persistent The ships are unloaded by mechani- westerly winds, which drive coastal cal grab with use of ships cranes into waters offshore. These then mix with shore-based hoppers. Grabs and deep ocean nutrient-rich water, which Hoppers spill a certain amount of then enters the harbour. Rubbish!! We these chemicals from either overfill have had no persistent westerly winds or through joints of the clamshell for 2-3 years and if that were the case grabs as it swings out over the apron why is not every harbour and estuary of the wharf to the hoppers. From on the east coast having this problem. the hoppers the chemicals are load- I recommend a thorough investied into trucks. Berths used for bulk gation into the Ports environmendischarge are mostly 6,7+8 berth. tal management practices and the The spillage from this whole opera- testing of the levels chemical poltion is substantial and when the wind lutants in the portside water and is strong, the problem is multiplied. sea floor. Also testing of the spoilThe attempts to manage the spillages ground and surrounding sea floor. by the stevedoring and marshalling This information has also been sent companies, and ultimately the Port of to Mike Thompson at Ministry For EnTauranga needs major improvements. vironment, The Cawthron Institute While a ship is discharging this cargo, who are currently doing a scientific the stevedores attempt to sweep up study of the harbour ,Ellen Irvine at spills using a small industrial sweeper BOP Times and various people invacuum. This machine picks up the volved in organisations involved soft loose material, but leaves mate- in the protection of our harbour. rial that is compacted by trucks which Name Withheld becomes ingrained into the concrete Tauranga surface of the wharf apron. Material is also carried away from shipside by wind, tyres and spillage from trucks. Where are the Cadmium When unloading is complete and the contaminated farms and ship has departed, the port company who owns them then sweeps the apron using a large Dear Sir tractor mounted rotating broom. This The Regional map of top soil levels is sweeps from landside of the apron freely available on the internet and out to the waterside, where it ends is therefore a public document. As up against kerbing barrier. The port we understand it the testing for Cadcompany then uses a large water mium was undertaken by Landcare tanker fitted with a side-mounted but that is not for us to say. Reginal water cannon and proceeds to wash Authorities or MPI would have more what the sweeper has left straight knowledge of this and it is for them into the harbour. I have witnessed to tell us where this came from and this part of the operation many why the work was commissioned. times. Over the course of a year, this They are the guardians of the land. would amount to tonnes of pollut- If it is not possible or not desirable ants being washed into the harbour. to identify the farm properties beApproximately 4 years ago the cause this knowledge if made public port company sheet piled the en- would devalue the properties and tire length of the port to allow the forever classify them as a toxic area, berthage to be deepened, this al- as pointed out by documents released lowed the dredges used to deepen under the official information act. to get in close. The smell from this In these documents there is reference operation was sulphurous. The to Government officials meeting with dredges then dispose of the dredg- Ministers Hon David Carter and Minising in the ocean about two-three ter Nick Smith. The officials were warnmiles east of the Tauranga entrance. ing the Minister that the Waikato ReWe have always had the odd year gional Council Authority was applying where there has been a small amount a very literal and unbending attitude

Visit us on www.facebook/Fishingandoutdoorsnewspaper NZ. He was a deer culler to start with and he wrote the great hunting book ‘rod and rifle’. In that book he was asked to join a government department, then hell bent on killing every deer and pig in NZ, by any means.

Holden was in the Rotorua area when the first ever experimental 1080 drop was carried out.

Days later he joined or was asked to go and have a look at the results of the 1080 drop.

First he could smell the stench of dead animal carcases, then as they got closer the roar of millions of flies buzzing the dead deer carcases. He stated in his book that this filthy poison should never have been exposed to our country.

One of the latest drops of 1080 in 2015 around Auckland’s water supply in the Hunua ranges has killed a heap of kiwi plus thousands of bush birds and native birds but do the idiots responsible for these measures learn and stop using 1080 or find an alternative poison that only kills rats and possums.

No way, this is their first part of NZ going to the dogs. The 2nd part is how John Key plans to sell the whole blinkin’ country to everyone else in the world except genuine New Zealanders.

In the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s Kiwis owned NZ. I am very proud of my country or I was, but it’s very fast becoming a bowl of scrambled eggs.

New Zealand owned land by true kiwis including Maori is fast becoming a thing of the past. Something needs to be done very fast to save the majority of our land from being sold into foreign ownership.

Land sales are good for our economy and we need foreign investment but if the land owners don’t live here they must be stopped from ownership.

to the said farms and was intending to declare them a contaminated site.

The officials pointed out to the Minister that this was not a sensible thing to do and such action would lead to great distress and result in the farms being a contaminated site forever with all the easily imagined consequences of that.

According to the papers the officials advised the Minister that they could resolve the potential problem by redefining the meaning of contaminated land.

This the Minister did by saying that only “industrial land and residential land” could be designated as contaminated land. NOT agricultural land. This decision effectively means that no farmland can ever be designated contaminated land no matter what poisons the soil may contain.

It is therefore up to the MPI and the Honourable Ministers to explain the map that identifies the land in various Districts as containing high levels of Cadmium. And further to that explain the actions the Ministers took in changing the definition of contaminated land and why they did that.

In the third instance MPI should explain why they gave that advice to the Ministers and now claim they there is not a problem with cadmium levels in New Zealand’s agricultural soils.

It is outrageous to ask the editor of a magazine to explain these matters when it is the editors in the interests of public health to pose these questions to the powers that be. Dick Featherstone Name Withheld Hamilton

Cadmium - the issue is this

Turua

Waikato 1080 Concerns Dear Sir

I am greatly concerned to see on the Dear Sir “Wild TV’ website that the Waikato Landcare took a series of test across Regional Council have issued a New Zealand, in the Waikato, where Resource Consent to themselves a number of sites which proved to be above the then recognized standard.

This was undisputed. However when EW pointed out the fact that some [30% according to the information received under the Official Information Act] of the Waikato would then be deemed to be polluted the Government of the day changed the rules, as detailed in the Official Information request response received back.

The level of 1.0 micrograms per kilogram of soil was set by the scientists many years ago.

Our concern is that no action has been taken to correct the cadmium contamination issues.

It stands to reason that there is a problem, why else would the parties set a committee to “monitor it”.

I would also suggest that Landcare replicated the tests taken in the Waikato to prove to the General Public that there is no problem.

From the official papers obtained, the Government instead of fixing the problem have changed the rules so that “no pollution has taken place”. If this is correct as it seems to be, we all have a problem. Now it is a Health and Safety issue, as it could be in our food chain.

This is why the recreational fishers are so concerned.

We require scientific evidence that what we are being told to accept by our leaders that there is nothing is wrong is in fact correct, nothing less will do.

We all need to be assured that we are not being fobbed off. The only way to do this is get Landcare back to retest.

Name withheld Hamilton

NZ going to the dogs

Dear Sir While watching the six o’clock news

on TV One Wed April 20th I felt physically sick. John Key with some of his National Party hangers on were in China supposedly doing deals with China.

I am a pure bred Kiwi born in 1944 and when I look back in time to how our beautiful country has changed and will never be how it was ever again unfortunately.

Firstly when in the early sixties, great overseas migrant William Holden who made NZ his home and absolutely loved NZ, ended up being one of our bestselling authors on hunting in

so that they can spread 1080 poison in and around our waterways.

There are a number of videos on the website which all have relevant information in them and one says that DoC is leading Waikato councilors up garden path, which I find very interesting. The video depicts how stupid they think the public are.

The flight path info where the 1080 was dropped over the Hunua catchment is in the video and shows the Auckland’s drinking water being poisoned.

The Graf brothers have also posted a copy of the original resource consents from both Waikato and Auckland councils to themselves, so they could spread the 1080 and legally drop 1080 poison directly into any waterway they deemed necessary.

Surely there must be regulations on a council issuing a consent to itself for an operation like this. As I understand there were many many submissions against this which appear to have been ignored.

The Waikato Regional Council need to explain their position more clearly and to be more honest with the public?

Its good to let them know they are being watched and we know what they are doing as far as the lies, the misleading advertising, the coverups and even the extortion goes.

DoC need to know that we know exactly what they are up to and it can only be about money.

DoC have never been allowed to poison such public and easily accessible areas by air.

DoC must be spinning it bigtime to the councils, to thinking these drops were the last chance for these apparently endangered Kokako.

The two councils would be covering for DoC as I don’t think either council would have their own stockpile of 1080 or access to all the people and networking required for a drop like this. Doc would have been sitting back laughing how they got paid for another splatterfest and managed once again to fool people into thinking that for one they were still

drinking clean water and that it somehow managed to help these Kokako.

The people doing the numbers for DOC are the last people on earth you could trust with keeping an accurate record on this sort of environmental cockup. It would be interesting to know how many native birds were incinerated in this instance and especially how many Kokako . We will never know because in this day and age DoC are an institution of lies and cover-ups born out of necessity after mishandling one of the world’s deadliest poisons for decades. They are now masters of deception and they know it.

If you would like to learn more about the use of 1080 poison in NZ, from scientists not employed by the users of 1080, please visit 1080SCIENCE.CO.NZ TV Wild want to hear from you!

If you have a property with good options for filming or if you have an episode idea worth including in the TV WiLD series - would like to hear from you. So please, get in touch - contact@tvwild.co.nz

Regards

Name withheld Hamilton

Dear editor

Last year Waikato Regional Council’s consenting arm gave consent to the pest control arm to drop 1080 from the air.

That consent, which expires shortly, allows for 1080 baits to be applied to land where they may enter waterways.

Before any such operation we must liaise with health authorities to get their permission for what is proposed.

Last year we had our aerial 1080 op erations independently reviewed and the operational arm was found to be 100 per cent compliant with all relevant legislation and conditions we were required to meet.

The pest control arm is currently in the process of applying for a new 1080 consent.

Patrick Whaley Integrated catchment services manager Waikato Regiona

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Dear Sir

1080 over the Central North Island Sika Herd The Game Animal Councils mission statement is: “Sustainable management of game animals and hunting for recreation, commerce and conservation” The objectives are to: · Enhance the quality of game animal herds while remaining consistent with conservation values · Develop positive relationships between the Game Animal Council and stakeholders · Promote hunter safety · Reduce conflict among stakeholders · Improve the acceptance of hunting as a safe and legitimate activity · Promote standards for hunting and management of game animals It’s a battle that we cannot give up on. Crowd funding will be just around the corner.

All players in the 1080 issue are using old out of date science. They refuse to acknowledge that Nature takes care of Nature. They have been dropping 1080 for decades and plan to continue obviously they are not making ground.

So they should for once listen.

There is clear evidence that 1080 is not being managed correctly and has and will damage existing wildlife which we wish to protect. There seems to be a wellconstructed gravy train that all parties are benefiting from at the expense of our wildlife including deer, all using Tax payers funds.

In the attached Ospri flyer it clearly states secondary kill is a bonus.

That confirms our native birds including those of Prey will be killed too. Who is fooling who.

The effective cost of dropping 1080 to kill possums is a un-natural. It has been reported in Parliament. If possums are the target and that’s the stated reason for the drops then continue drops are shameful.

This DOC links says in effect 1080 is dangerous. Last year DOC issue an advice to people not eat trout from Southern Streams. http://www. doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/ things-to-do/hunting/pesticides/ The fact I believe was tabled in Parliament, that in the last 12 months 9830 possums having being autopsied with none with TB shows that Ospri’s science is assumption based. No current residual catch rate data (this year) in the RHA area and Kaweka’s makes one concerned as to why they want to spend tax payers funds on assumptions.

Application of 1080 often involves a pre-baiting program. So if you pre bait you attract all critters including Deer and others. So do they use repellent for ALL including Kiwis? Is there a repellent for Kiwis?

If TBNZ and co say they do not kill Kiwis then they are not telling the truth. The current deer repellent is nowhere near perfect and will easily wear off. There is a new local repellent nearing final testing. This should be dealt with first.

In respect to the proposed drops it’s critical that “due” process has been applied and all parties have signed off. There are rumours that signatories representing the land owners are suspect.

And what about the cases where TB infected deer have been planted and then the land owners told that deer on their land need to be culled.

A point in case is what happened the Te Ureweras. (Reference Richard White NZDA Rotorua 23 Sept).There was another incident more recent than this just out of Wellington. This questions the whole credibility of those who tell us that 1080 is the Bees Knees and is the only solution.

There was a NZ Herald last year which in part stated that there is more TB in NZ residents than possums. The science of TB transmitting from Possums is foggy at best and used as a lever to drop it over deer habitat.

Roger Wootton, NZDA Rotorua PS: It’s not what is said or written but what is not.

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GROUND CONTROL OF PESTS ESSENTIAL - NO TO 1080 Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has promised to start the largest pest control operation in New Zealand’s history this winter in response to a possible pest plague.

The decision to launch the largest pest control operation ever in New Zealand is an irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money, says New Zealand First Outdoor Recreation Spokesperson Richard Prosser.

“Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says $20.7 million extra will go into poisoning with aerial 1080. She claims there is expected to be a massive increase in pest numbers. This is ludicrous.

“The number of rats, stoats and possums is not, and will not be, at biblical proportions as she claims.

“The most sensible thing is to fully resource ground control.

“Ground control targets the right spe-

cies and creates jobs in the regions.”

“DOC scientists believe that the seed fall predicted last year has eventuated.”

While Barry says. “We must respond if we’re to protect our native birds and animals from the threat – and the funding will enable DOC to achieve this.”

However the same funding could be given to ground control programmes and a bounty system which is more likely to have greater benefits and will not kill stock, horses or dogs and will stop the possibility of poisoning waterways. DoC are really dodging the real questions as their aerial bombardments continue this onslaught of poorly managed and controlled drops.

With virtually no evidence that the rat or stoat populations will increase Barry has gone on this personal crusade to bring disaster on our forests.

DoC suggest that vulnerable species will be brought to the brink of local-

ized extinction with whole populations wiped out if nothing is done in a pathetic response to anti-1080 protestors. Most of New Zealand is well aware that using 1080 is a cruel and horrible way for animals to die. Recently the SPCA attempted to prosecute a person for drowning a possum when Barry is allowed to carry on her crusade unscathed.

DoC also say that the pest plague would also kill millions of other birds, native insects, bats and reptiles, when in fact it’s the mis-use of 1080 that does the real damage.

1080 remains the most dangerous method of poisoning, and the most inefficient and ineffective method of pest control in the rugged backcountry of New Zealand We must put an end to its use and stop the government from using this poison.

DoC – TBFree – WRC – Submit Misleading 1080 Poison Consent Application

By Nigel Wayne – Opinion, photos by The Graf Boys.

Poisoned yearling deer

Information provided by Waikato Regional Councillors Kathy White and Clyde Graf show that the Department of Conservation, TBFree, and the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) have jointly applied for resource consent to aerially spread 1080 poison across the Waikato Region for another 35 years.

As part of the consent process, the applicants have undertaken consultation with Iwi Boards (including Trusts and Runanga), stakeholders (including NZ Deerstalkers Ass, NZ Pig hunting Ass, Fish & Game Council, Bee Keepers, Forest & Bird) and with regulators (including the Ministry of Health, Department of Conservation, and NZ Food Safety).

The Statement of Consultation Undertaken (Vol 2) document (obtained under the Official Information Act) submitted to the Commissioner, and Waikato Regional Council’s consenting division, says that district councils within the Waikato Region were also consulted. It states: “Section 4.6 – Summary of Feedback from Local Authorities A pre-application consultation pack was sent to the CEOs of all local authorities in the Waikato Region inviting feedback. At the time of lodging this application, feedback had been received from the following local authorities. 4.6.1 – Thames Coromandel District Council” Information presented in the Statement of Consultation Undertaken states that Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) was the only territorial authority to give feedback. However, it has since been revealed that TCDC was never sent a Consultation Pack, nor were they requested to provide feedback.

TCDC responded to a letter that they, like the other district council CEOs received from the applicants, which included the following paragraph ...

“We are writing to let you know of our intention to lodge this consent in December 2015. If you would like information regarding 1080, please refer to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Reports which can be found at the web addresses below… If you would like any further information on the consent process, please feel free to contact any of the undersigned…

TB Free – Department of Conservation – Waikato Regional Council” None of the CEOs, mayors or councilors were provided with the 8 page “consultation pack” nor were they requested to provide feedback. Waikato

Regional Council staff have since stated they were not required to consult with the district councils, as they are not affected parties, and that the incorrect application submitted in December 2015, will be corrected. There are a total of eleven local authorities (district councils) in the Waikato Region.

Waikato Regional Councilors Choose Not to Publically Notify In December 2015, Waikato Regional Councillors were given the opportunity to publically notify the resource consent application. Public notification would have allowed for public submissions to be received and heard, and the public would, for the first time in the Waikato Region, be given a say in the 1080 poison application process.

At the Council meeting, councilors were told by staff to consider the level of public interest. They were told that only one territorial authority, some iwi, and some members of the public had asked for public notification – as if there wasn’t much interest in publically notifying the application process. (Note - In February 2016, Crs White and Graf received the consultation feedback via an Official Information Act request). The public and iwi feedback responses show there was majority support for a public process.

Councillor Stu Kneebone moved a motion that the decision be made by an independent (WRC staff-selected) commissioner, and in effect, Council would choose to decline its opportunity to publically notify.

Councillors White, Graf, Stark, Hennebry, and Bramley voted against the Kneebone motion, instead wanting the application to be publically notified. Councilors Southgate, Mahuta, Simcock, Kneebone, Vercue, and Buckley voted for Cr Kneebone’s motion. Three councilors were absent.

If the consent is issued on a nonnotified basis it removes the ability of the public, or anyone else, to make an appeal against the decision in the Environment Court, High Court, or Supreme Court. Only publically notified decisions can be challenged in the judicial arena.

Code of Conduct Complaints Made Against Councillors Asking Questions and Raising Concerns When the regional councilors were presented with the option to vote on whether to publically notify or to choose a commissioner to make the decision at the December meeting, Crs White and Graf were surprised at the low response from the eleven district councils, and especially given that Taupo District Council has had a policy since 2009 to advocate for alternatives to 1080 to be used in their district.

Crs Graf and White decided to send an email to all mayors and councilors

in the Waikato Region, asking if they had been provided with a “Consultation Pack” and had been requested to provide feedback. The responses showed that none of them had.

As a result of sending the email, and including his signature as Chair of the Environmental Performance Committee, a Code of Conduct complaint was made against Cr Graf; another Code of Conduct complaint was made against Cr White for being complicit in the letter-writing.

Chair Paula Southgate directed staff to hire an expensive Auckland Lawyer, again, who determined that Cr Graf had exceeded his authority. Paula Southgate, or Council itself, will determine in the coming weeks what any penalty will be, and whether Cr Graf will lose his chair of the Environmental Performance Committee as a result of asking reasonable questions.

The “Consultation Pack” The Consultation Pack provided to Stakeholders – Partners – Regulators – comprised of an 8 page presentation highlighting the “benefits” of 1080 poison. The information included in the “consultation pack” is described by an independent scientist as unbalanced, misleading, and omitting important information and adverse effects resulting from the aerial spreading of 1080 poison – facts that should be disclosed in a transparent, and open consultation process.

Why is it important that accurate and balanced information is provided to stakeholders and regulators? To ensure that facts, favorable and unfavorable, are considered together. The Waikato District Health Board stated in the consultation feedback that it supports the proposal, and “It is a much tidier way of dealing with pest control operations, rather than have three separate companies as is currently the case”. And when responding to the question “Please outline any concerns you have about the proposed activity”, the WDHB response was “No”. And the final question – “Do you have any other comments you would like considered when a decision is made on this proposal?” “No”.

The Government-owned 1080 poison factory – Animal Control Products – has clear guidelines on its 1080 warning label – which include … “Take measures to minimize the chance of baits accidentally entering any body of water” … “Harmful to aquatic organisms” … “1080 wastes are ecotoxic”… “Repeated oral exposure may cause reproductive or developmental damage” … “Where practicable, the exposed bodies of all poisoned animals should be collected and destroyed by complete burning or deep burial at a landfill approved for hazardous wastes. Dehydrated carcasses may remain dangerous to dogs or cats for an indefinite period. A single mouse poisoned by 1080 may contain enough poison to kill an adult dog.”

Waikato Regional Council issues resource consents that permit 1080 poison “Discharge to Land and Water”. When the aerial drops are undertaken, 1080 poison is dropped

directly into most watercourses, if not all, within the operational areas.

The recent Coromandel, Mt Pirongia, and Auckland aerial drops, which covered over 50,000 hectares combined, had no buffers around running water. (Excluding a small exclusion around Te Awamutu’s water intake). This fact is confirmed in the post-operational toxin flight charts.

Breach of Trust Communities, iwi, regulators, and ratepayers place their trust in Councils, Department of Conservation, and TBFree when consultation is undertaken. If consultation means agencies can mislead and provide unbalanced information, without providing risk and impact information, then the process is flawed.

As an example, the applicants claim in their consultation pack that “1080 is safe” and “safe to use” but fail to inform people that there are many important unknowns about 1080 that may mean it is NOT “safe”. These include how long 1080 persists in the bones of poisoned carcasses (so that signage can come down, 6 months post drop), how long baits remain toxic in various conditions (eg in dry conditions, under snow cover, in carcasses), what sub-lethal levels are safe for humans, how long does it persist in poisoned fish, what risk is there from poisoned carcasses in waterways, how long does 1080 take to break down in waterways, how should water samples be managed for reliable test results?

Some of the important facts that aren’t included in the consultation document include, and are not limited to …

- When 1080 drops are undertaken, nearly all streams (often all) within the operational boundaries have 1080 poison bait dropped directly into them at the same rate as the land areas around them. No attempt is made to avoid them (as is shown in the toxin flight charts).

- Enough poison is dropped across every hectare of land and water to kill

1080 bait in stream

over 80 small children (based on 0.15% 1080 - 2kg bait/ha), or 800 possums, or 1000’s of native birds, per hectare.

- 1080 poison is a slow and inhumane killer, and has no antidote.

- Water testing is often undertaken

11

after the poison has dispersed or passed through water columns (12hrs +), returning the negative results. The negative results say more about the testing protocol than the result. The poison is always present in the column. Testing should be undertaken in parts per trillion, as it is in the UK, as some pesticides are capable of damage at parts per trillion (PPT) levels.

- Clause 11 of a DoC hunting permit states “Carcasses must not be left near or in visitor facilities or waterways.”

However, when the aerial drops are undertaken poisoned carcasses are left to decompose in the forests and streams where non-targeted wildlife can access them, including birds (kea, weka, pukeko, morepork, raptors), eels and other non-targeted wildlife.

Research by Lyver (2004) showed that eels that ate poisoned possum gut had high rates of poison residues in their systems and inexplicably lost weight.

- ERMA stated - “[calculations suggest] the risk from meat consumption for freshwater species may be higher than for terrestrial meat sources. The Agency considers this conclusion misleading … “A prime aim of 1080 operations is to avoid deposition of baits into waterways” ERMA Agency Appendix M p 706 - Poisoned baits are eaten by many species of native birds, koura and other aquatic life, and they are then in turn eaten by other wildlife, causing secondary poisoning. It is a breach of the Wildlife Act to knowingly poison native birds.

- On average, 50% of deer populations are poisoned in the aerial drops, and so are large percentages of pigs. Deer and pigs are not approved under NZ ethics rules to be poisoned with 1080.

- 1080 poison is a broad-spectrum insecticide, and is classed by the World Health Organization as – CLASS 1A (their highest rating), and has no antidote.

- Does open and balanced consultation matter? If it is approved this new 1080 resource consent is going from a 10 year duration, to a 35 year duration. It is significant and it is controversial, and it means 1080 poison will be dropped into a water supply near you. It needs to be managed with transparency, and it needs the whole community involved in the conversation. If this consent isn’t publically notified, you won’t get that chance to have your say about something that affects us all.

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Finally Truthful Sustainable Trawling More than enough evidence to prosecute No Excuses Now MPI that his method is very truthful and that other methods Have to have a huge question mark over them.

The great thing about the new cod end cage is they’re leaving these small fish to grow and fatten up into next year’s stock.

Karl and his wife Sarah run their business together. Karl tries to get out on the water three or four days a week, and Sarah deals with marketing and the customers.

They sell direct to local fish shops and restaurants Karl Warr has proved that the current method of bulk harvesting is not a viable option, in the Hawkes Bay region.

This is an incredwith ongoing sea trials to develop the new net using the cage to catch fish. ible sustainability story.

Country Calendar revealed that tainable way, and just by chang- Many of their outlets don’t retail the MPI and Commercial Fish- ing the design of his fishing net. fish unless Karl catches it and someing Industry can no longer cling Gaps in a rectangular steel cage times go for days with nothing to to their pathetic excuses that (the new cod end) attached to sell. People appreciate the quality diamond mesh net with the the open end of his net allow of the fish and the story behind it. old fashioned cod end is a vi- smaller fish to exit unharmed be- The Ministry for Primary Indusable option. These derelict old nets fore the net comes to the surface. tries is supposedly taking a keen should be banned immediately. Conventional nets have escape interest in Karl’s innovation, Karl and Sarah Warr have gone holes, he says, but many un- and local fisheries staff plan to to great lengths to invent a dersized fish get trapped in the gather data on its effectiveness. new cod end for their trawler end of the net and are hauled You have to wonder at the MPI’s which proves beyond reason- to the surface, damaging their audacity, when Karl and Sarah able doubt that the MPI have got swim bladders in the process. have spent a huge amount of it wrong and have supported Even if they are then released as time and energy developing this an industry that has done little undersized, they don’t survive. method along come the naysayto change age old methods. ‘Now, with the cage, I’ve set the ers, who dream up ways of justifyYou can’t blame all the guys on gaps for the minimum size gur- ing why it’s not workable as they have done in the past with other new inventions, rather than coming on board Karl and Sarah’s, new invention and promoting it. Alesha McKinnon MPI’s response was very lack lustre and a politically safe response. Rick Birch from Napier invented a similar cod end which was poo-hooed by the MPI sometime ago and here we go again.

In fact if this hadn’t got media coverage I doubt MPI would be the slightest bit interested.

Karl is already working on a Mark Two version of the cage in development at Napier’s Ramage The net system shows how the small fish escape.

Sheetmetals. The next version will be automated, screening fish on the commercial fishing boats nard I want, the small fish exit the sea floor, selecting one hunas Karl and Sarah have shown – through the holes, and anything dred percent of what they want there are some who have recog- bigger stays in there,’ Karl says. to take. Scanners on the cage nized the damage and waste and His ultimate goal is to not will identify the fish, and the net they’re doing something about it. kill a single fish he hasn’t will draft off the unwanted ones.

On Country Calendar recently Karl put on his shopping list. Most bottom trawling or the worst Warr proved beyond question The Country Calendar show method beam trawling damages that the current commercial fish- proves that the cage works. Fish- the sea bed, ripping it up and killing ing practices for bulk harvesting ing with just a net, Karl’s catches almost everything that lives on it. are the cause of huge amount of were sometimes up to 50 per Karl’s trawl system travels over the waste through bad practices that cent small, undesirable fish. top of the sea floor only making lead to high grading and discard. But using the cage, the small enough contact so that fish don’t go When Karl started fishing he was fish make up just five per cent. underneath the fishing gear. He fishdelighted to see a lot of fish, but So this brings to mind those com- es very shallow and at these depths equally shocked at the wastage. mercial fishers who bring in fish says storm surges disturb and Karl has been commercial fishing bins of perfect size gurnard almost control the benthic ecosystem far out of Napier for nearly 20 years every time, stating that there is little more than he will even get close to. and this has led to him pondering to no wastage and that they are fish- So rather than question the Warr’s ideas which led to his new inven- ing sustainably. Someone is telling method we congratulation them tion – a breakthrough in fishing porkies and hiding the truth. Their on a true innovative and sustaintechniques that will revolution- evidence is bins of beautiful bas- able and practical way of keeping ize the industry, by increasing the kets of fish and questionable video our ocean alive, they are leadsurvival rate for undersized fish, showing few fish caught in the net. ers in the industry - we just hope allowing him to fish in a more sus- In Karl’s case we can only agree others and the MPI will follow!!!

A leaked MPI preliminary report, written by a ministry investigator, looked at video footage on six vessels operating in the Timaru and Ōāmaru ports between November 2012 and March 2013.

The report said that the MPI’s own failure to prosecute skippers is contributing to over-fishing and illegal dumping.

An investigation began following the capture of two Hector’s dolphins - one of which was unreported - by one commercial fisher on December 2012.

While reviewing the footage, installed as part of a pilot programme, the investigator saw numerous quota species fish, including substantial quantities of elephant fish and gurnard, being discarded.

As a result, the investigator began reviewing the footage of the other five vessels, and found four of those were also openly dumping or not reporting fish required under the Fisheries Act. “Early data capturing samples show that between 20 to 100 percent of some quota fish are being discarded during every haul,” the report said.

“These discards are taking place even though the captain and crew are aware that they are being monitored by camera.”

The report said one captain and crew discarded about 35 percent of their elephant fish while a ministry observer was on board.

This video footage should be more than enough evidence to prosecute the skipper and proves that the observer programme is not working.

If the MPI refuse to prosecute these skippers with this evidence then the cameras are a waste of time and show that the MPI are not at all serious in cleaning up the disgusting practices by the commercial fishing industry.

“They say they have looked at this video and they’ve seen systematic - I mean just widespread - chucking overboard of large amounts of the fish that are caught.”

Yet the Ministry for Primary In-

dustries says it was disappointed it did not have enough evidence to prosecute skippers who were dumping or not reporting fish.

The ministry’s deputy director general, Scott Gallacher, said that the investigation highlighted some issues.

“To be honest we’re disappointed that we didn’t have enough evidence to do the prosecution but everything we have got off the back of that has resulted in far stronger measures being in place,” he said.

When in fact the report stated that sufficient evidence was collected!!

The MPI has not clearly explained why it did not prosecute skippers for dumping fish, despite having footage which showed it happening, as the report was clear that rules had been breached and the footage must be released publicly.

The report said one vessel turned off the camera before the haul was completed, (in itself an offence) with a number of elephant fish still visible in the net - and it was not the first time it happened.

The investigator said the “callous” disregarding of simple reporting requirements in some cases, which has no bearing on quota or a financial disincentive, showed the dumping was not all about money.

“It is not just a financial incentive that motivates offending, but also the lack of any punitive action against the fisher if the regulations are not adhered with.

“This results primarily from the fact that this type of offending is almost impossible to detect to an evidential standard sufficient for prosecution using traditional investigative techniques.”

The investigator said it was understood the ministry had previously ignored offending because of assurance given that prosecution would not be pursued and the same may have occurred again.

But the investigator said the ministry now had “compelling” proof of serious offending and action must be

taken, not only for the sake of sustainability, but also because the ministry was “relying on misleading and incorrect data to sustain our fisheries”.

The investigator warned the images could damage the country’s green image if released, and said it would appear the ministry knew about the dumping for many years and did little to stop it.

“The resulting damage that could be caused not just to MPI but to the New Zealand fishing industry and economy as a whole could be extensive.”

The Operation Hippocamp report, also showed an MPI investigator saying the issue of dumping has been known for a long time, but has “generally been considered in the too hard” basket.

The MPI are very quick to prosecute people exceeding fish and shellfish limits and to have assets used forfeited to the crown. This includes boats, cars, trailers, rods, dive gear etc., and fair enough. So they should explain why the commercial sector is allowed to escape unprosecuted.

They skippers know they were breaking the law, and Tim Pankhurst CEO of Seafood NZ an ex editor must also be aware of the law, so why is he covering for the industry?

So why aren’t the MPI and the NZ Police prosecuting and seizing commercial boats and assets? The evidence is in their own reports and the video footage.

The relationships between Sanford’s director Peter Goodfellow (who is also chairman of the National Party), 2009 – Present (7 years), Director Sanford, 2006 – Present (10 years); Tim Pankhurst, and the MPI, has to be suspect and what has happened to the illegitimate profit on sale of under reported or undeclared or otherwise unlawful catch needs investigation.

How can it be ok to sell unlawful catch for profit?

Has the balance been checked to reconcile allowable quota catch vs actual volume sold? How is the waste determined? How was extra catch sold?

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Roman holding the 14lber

Tongariro a Great River All trout waters are beautiful no matter where they are, all offering a different experience, some methods work better than others.

In my view the Tongariro which I began fishing over 30 years ago is still consistently good, summer and winter, some seasons better than others, albeit gone are the days when you could stand in one pool all day and catch, as we did in the Boulder or Breakaway Pools.

The fishing is just as good provided one moves around, as the pods of fish tend to be smaller and move faster due probably to the shallower waters as determined by seasonal flooding, dryer weather etc, so is simply a matter of adjusting to the conditions.

Going back to the days I fished and guided in the South Island, stunning scenery, the rivers crystal clear (before didymo) a different ball game altogether to North Island fishing, days were/are long walks, long leaders, days of 14 plus fish now few and far between, travelling times to rivers for most, an hour minimum, back country rivers a chopper ride or a day’s walk away, but still an adventure regardless the number of fish caught, and therein is the point - ours is a fantastic sport regardless the number of fish we catch.

Back to the Tongariro I remember when nymphing was frowned upon by some of the wet lining fraternity, so it is to a lesser degree with Czech nymphing, none the less is a different approach, probably more difficult than normal nymphing as it generally involves more “casts” sometimes requiring deeper wading, but does not involve the use of an indicator nor a bulky fly line as such, allowing nymphs to sink more quickly with the use of lighter fluorocarbon leaders, enabling the angler to feel the nymphs on the river bed, and any fish that comes in contact, therefore more effective particularly in smaller and low level waters if executed correctly.

HANAK Czech nymph rods have been developed over many years specifically for this type of fishing, usually no heavier than 5 weight, yes these rods can handle the Tongariro.

This 14lb Brown was caught using one, by (incidentally) the current Czech

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Two nice fat rainbows from the upper river

nymphing champion so one does need to know how to use less than an 8 weight and barbless hooks to boot.

I discarded my expensive 6 weight in favour of one of the HANAK Rods or even the Airflo SLN as both are designed for Czech nymphing $500 and $350 respectively.

Whatever method you choose, it is our opinion the Tongariro will fish very well this winter, we have had one run of nice fat rainbows up to 6lb around May 14th, the forecast is for rain for the next couple of weeks snow at higher elevations which will lift the water levels of course.

Check out www.turangiflyfish.comor www.creeltackle.comfor updates.

Creel Tackle House Central North Island HANAK suppliers, 189 Taupahi Road, Turangi. Phone 07 386 7929

Coro Mussel Farm - early morning limit The morning couldn’t have come soon enough as I waited for Paul Gray from Aqua Soaka’s to park his truck and trailer unit outside the house.

Paul had spent the weekend at the

Auckland Boat Show and being a bit worse for weather had decided to drive down early in the morning from Auckland, to rendezvous for a trip to fish the Coromandel Mussel Farms.

Paul was keen to head off and after a breakfast stop at the Turua Bakery we arrived at Hannifin’s wharf to board the ‘Joint Venture’ from Coromandel Fishing Charters.

Coromandel had put on a beautiful morning for us as we enjoyed the early sunrise on the trip out to our chosen fishing spot.

With a good cross-section of anglers we were warmly welcomed and had the occasion to have a good chat, the topic being fishing of course.

I rigged up Paul’s rod and line with the popular ‘mussel farm’ rig used by the better charter operators, and using good quality squid he was straight into fish. Paul had adapted the rig and changed the lead sinker, to his extremely popular ‘Aqua Soaka’ sinker which proved to work well.

Within a short space of time the chilly bin was full and we had caught our limit and share of the abundant snapper which populate the farms.

Jordan the skipper and Laurence were kept busy with the anglers going around measuring the catch to ensure the ones kept were legal sized and they ikied each ‘keeper’ to keep the anglers honest.

Jordan shared an incident earlier in the month where the MPI had checked the anglers on returning to Hanniford’s and three fishers were caught with undersized snapper which were not ikied by the crew.

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These boys are no longer welcome and have been barred from the boats.

If you are planning a charter, try and make it early morning or late afternoon so that you get the best opportunity to catch a good feed. The snapper are nice and fat at the moment.

We then headed off to Salty Towers Bait Shop. Hank and the boys offer a fish filleting service ‘par excellent’. They fillet your fish, vacuum pack it and store it on salt ice for the trip home.

The vacuum packing at Salty Towers Bait Shop was excellent, feeling a little worse for wear after 4 days at the Hutchwilco Boat Show and a 6 a.m. start for the fishing trip, Paul stayed overnight at my place, leaving the fillets still in the styro-foam insulated box. Checking them the next morning, the salt ice was still in good nick, good enough to last the drive back to Wellington that day. Eager for a feed of fresh snapper when he arrived, he pulled in at one of the road-side fresh veg stalls near Palmerston North filling a bag full of spuds, broccoli and carrots ready for a fry up at his daughter Lucie’s. A quick dip in egg and flour it was straight in a hot buttered fry pan for a couple of minutes a side. It was just as tasty and fresh as if pulled straight from the sea. Arriving home back in Motueka at 4 a.m. the next day, 38 hours after packing, it was slushy but still beautifully fresh and really cold . I’d certainly recommend getting your fish vacuum packed and on salt ice.

Check out the video of snapper response to the aqua soaka

A good sized terakihi

Coromandel Fishing Charters are taking bookings forz small and medium sized groups to fill up each charter for the Winter Fishing season which offers some of the best fishing the Coromandel has to offer, so if you have a couple of mates but are a few short of a boat load don’t worry just give Tom and call and he’ll help you out.

Coromandel Fishing Charters offer more than a fishing experience as there is a lot more to the Hauraki Gulf than people imagine.

To Book your Charter or Christmas function call Tom or Lorraine on 0800 267624 or 027 8668001.

Email: corofishing@gmail.com

CATCH MORE FISH WITH THE RE-USEABLE BERLEY SINKER “THE SOAKA” SHOP ONLINE www.aquasinka.com 03 5289898

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Paul Gray showing the ‘Aqua Soaka’ at work

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Buckland Marine have moved

LAND ALL FISH CAUGHT

Due to the growth they have experienced Buckland Marine, have moved their business premises to a brand new site within the Whangarata Business Park located at 143 Bollard Road, Tuakau (5 minutes drive from their old location).

They have developed the site

Fisheries should be moving towards mandatory landing of all the catch, says New Zealand First.

“In the meantime, there must be an immediate crack down on illegal fish dumping with compulsory cameras and GPS monitoring on board all commercial fishing boats, says Spokesperson for Fisheries and Outdoor Recreation Richard Prosser.

“This will discourage fish dumping in a fair and economically sensible way.

specifically for the business, constructing a purpose built spacious workshop, including showroom and located on a large secure lock up yard.

Please note that the phone number, website address and email address will remain the same.

View the newspaper online at www.fishingoutdoors.org and advertise online with us.

“What is needed now is increased surveillance of commercial fishing boats with all registered vessels requiring cameras on deck and in the holds where fish is processed, and AIS tracking should be active 24/7.

“Additionally, large quota owners should be more accountable.

They are avoiding any responsibility for over-fishing despite putting pressure on commercial fishermen to bring in huge catches.

“New Zealand’s quota management system (QMS) is not working and the government is looking the other way in the interests of big business.

“The QMS was set up to ensure fairness but it is being exploited by large companies, often foreign owned, with no tangible involvement in the fishing process at sea, leaving New Zealand fishing operators to face any blame.

“The QMS must be fair for all and increased surveillance is a necessary step forward,” says Mr Prosser.

LOOKING FOR A BOAT RAMP? Check out our website www.fishingoutdoors.org For New Zealand’s most comprehensive Boat Ramps Listings

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What is going on with the MPI?

Location of boundaries of the flatfish (FLA) Quota Management Areas.

Last month the MPI called for submissions to increase the Total Allowable Catch for flatfish in Flatfish 3 area. Are these guys daft or some-

thing? Why the dickens would you increase the TAC for a species that is under threat and not sustainable?

In 2005 the MPI was informed

by a Standard MPI Review, that the system of catching the 8 species of flatfish, all with different need’s from depth to age was not likely to be sustainable. The flexibility of the system was designed to meet the needs of the stakeholders and it was not flexible enough for the fish stocks.

This caused the minister to take emergency measures in 2007/08 and cut the quota from 2893 TAC to 1617 TAC. That system of a massive quota area incorporating eight species, has failed the fishery and is still in place today, as per the reference link: http://www.fish.govt.nz/NR/ rdonlyres/E8D545DD-B15542AE-AB28-05EC73D87313/0/ ipp_07 08_fla3.pdf This link explains that the key issues to consider for flatfish (FLA 3) are: a) Anecdotal information from commercial and recreational fishers suggests current catches are not sustainable. Some commercial fishers consider that intensive fishing effort in recent years is affecting the sustainability of FLA 3. Some

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Early Bird Bait & Tackle Banner It’s getting colder by the day and winter is definitely just around the corner. It’s funny how it always comes around at the same time every year, despite what the weather man says. Even though the winds are blowing and we are definitely getting our fair share of rain, (farmers will be happy), there are still a few fisherman, getting out there for a dabble. Most of these guys seem to be sharemilkers or guys keeping out of the way of the missus, anything to get out and about. These are the guys who come back and tell me that they have had a great time and have caught their limit of snapper and judging by their fish bins, they aren’t telling any lies.

There are plenty of fish about and the Mussel Farms are really paying dividends with most of the charters reporting excellent catches and limits. It doesn’t matter where you go on the farms, there seems to be fish everywhere. You will be plagued by a lot of smaller ones but the grunters are around and will snap up everything you put down. Kingfish are everywhere and don’t be surprised to pull in a 15kg specimen. My photo board in the shop is getting full of them. The water out in the Firth is generally warmer than normal which is why there are so many fish around. Down in the shallows opposite Thames there are plenty of good sized snapper up to 50cm in length.

Pilchards, Squid and Mullet (in that order) are the best baits and despite not being able to get Baby Squid or Calamari, the large Arrow Squid is certainly holding up to some great catches. I have attached a photo to my report of ‘Troy’ with another great Snapper caught out on the farms.

The fishing will start to get harder over the next month or two and people are always coming up with ideas to attract and catch more fish.

One such person came up with the idea to produce sinkers out of Iron Sand. After a lot of trials and investment of machinery, this guy has brought the ‘Aqua Sinka’ and ‘Aqua Soakas’ on to the market. Completely made from iron sand and lead free, this has to be a bonus if you’re a ‘Greenie’. It is available in various popular weights and has the added bonus of also being a berley bomb.

Because the sand is absorbent means that you can introduce your own concoctions for it to absorb.

The berley scents available with it include Garlic and Aniseed; specially designed for good results. Twenty minutes in the provided sinka pot and away you go. In the water, the scent dissipates and brings

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recreational fishers consider FLA 3 abundance is so low that they are effectively being denied access.

Stock status 9 FLA 3 consists of 8 species of right-eyed flounders and sole managed as one stock complex - lemon sole (Pelotretis flavilatus), New Zealand sole (Peltorhamphus novaezealandiae), yellowbelly flounder (Rhombosolea leporina), sand flounder (Rhombosolea plebeia), greenback flounder (Rhombosolea tapirina), black flounder (Rhombosolea retiaria), turbot (Colistium nudipinnis), and brill (Colistium guntheri).

10 There is little information on whether the FLA 3 stock is at, above, or below the level that can produce the MSY. There is no research information on the abundance of flatfish in FLA 3. Estimates of current and reference biomass are not available for flatfish in FLA 3.

Stock assessments for flatfish have been based on estimating MSY in terms of Maximum Constant Yield (MCY)1. The yield estimates are based on commercial landings.

The management of eight species in one management group has

inherent risks. At present, the population dynamics of individual flatfish species is poorly understood.

11 Annala et al (2001) estimated the FLA 3 MCY based on the average commercial landings from 1983-84 to 1987-88 (these years reflect stable effort and catches). The FLA 3 MCY only applies to the commercial fishery and is illustrated inTable 2 below.

The facts are that: a. The catch reporting is based on the commercial data who have a vested interest in an increase. b. The species specific recording by commercial fishing has not run long enough. c. The scientific report only included three of the eight species of flatfish. d. The maximum sustainable yield for FLT 3 is extremely vague and the MPI do not know what the sustainable yield is across the species. e. The transferable ACE could lead to the overfishing in any one year of isolated areas of the fishery. f. There is nothing to stop any one species taking the brunt of the increase, especially due to seasonal or spawning migrations of any one of the eight fish species. g. There is nothing to stop the recreational or customary users who have already been

considerably constrained by the Dolphin protected zones, from being further constrained. h. To have a maximum sustainable yield you must have abundance. i. To have less than abundance must be less than the minimum sustainable level and contra to the Fishery Act. j. The FLT3 fishery is only healthy because of a natural biological event at the right time of the fishes life cycle. It is therefore possible for the stock to collapse because of a natural event if the natural abundance is fished, as did the Coromandel Scallops.

Due to incomplete information with many aspects of the fisheries management of this sector, regarding lack of survey information required by the MPI to make this decision, they must not recommend an in-season increase of the fish stock for Flatfish3.

No extra quota should be given allowing catch to be taken from our lakes or harbours because of the recreational and customary importance, but if the commercial fishers are going to bottom trawl in deep water and bring the fish to the surface then they might as well be kept (land all catch).

in the fish exactly like a frozen berley bomb except that the sinka is located near your bait so the fish can’t miss it. I have now taken into stocking this product so if you want to give them a try come and speak to me. The Aqua Sinker starter kit retails at $36.00 and a 250ml bottle of attractant is just $12.00. Why not check out their video of how it works (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=HdMRc2Tk9E8) This being a Kiwi company and product, I would like to mention another small company, who I am proud to be associated with. Being a bait shop does attract many unfavourable odours, most of which tend

to linger in the carpet. I can honestly say that ‘The Rug Doctor’ popped up in my mind but having used that once before in my home I was not impressed. Checking out the local phone book, I found “Wells Cleaning Ltd”, a small family owned business based in Thames. They came along to my shop and without any hassle, cleaned my carpet and removed the horrible odours and everything else that was lurking in it. Mike & Julie who own the business also clean business premises in Thames and around the Coromandel. They can also do Floor Polishing and Carpet Extractions. I can recommend them 100%, so if you

have any carpets need cleaning you can contact them on (Mike & Julie – 07 868 8474 or 0272 724 201). I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Before I sign off, I have to let you know that over the winter period, I will be closed on Mondays. I will still be open at 5am on weekdays and 4am weekends. The Ngatea Hunting and Fishing Club Competition takes place on 4th and 5th June (R18s only) so for all participants I am giving 10% discount off their purchases plus for everyone who spends $50.00 I will give them a 5kg bag of salt ice. Anyway guys wrap up warm and get yourselves out there.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

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16

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POSSUMS PREFER LEAVES TO BACON AND EGGS

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Possums Not a Pest - NZ First MP

by James Speedy

I was down in Te Urewera National Park at one of the Café’s waiting for the usual line of possums to turn up for the wonderful cooked breakfasts that the cafe puts on, when the absence of possums started me wondering.

On a normal day the café is full of possums gorging themselves on bacon and eggs with some preferring pancakes. So what could have put off their attendance.

Then I noticed a column in a lo-

cal newspaper, that researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have found possums in New Zealand prefer to eat leaves high in available protein, giving authorities new evidence to help them limit possum damage to New Zealand’s forests.

That got me wondering who authorized the funds to have this report done and there purpose. What crazy Australian had considered that possums prefer leaves to ba-

con and eggs, maybe that being a Saturday morning it explained their absence from the Café.

You would need a degree and a lot of spare time to work out that possums prefer leaves to bacon and eggs.

The report stated that Possums are considered a pest in New Zealand, where the government spends tens of millions of dollars each year to eradicate them. Possums are protected as a native species in Australia.

The new study by Dr Hannah Windley from the ANU Research School of Biology compares the nutritional quality of New Zealand foliage with the damage possums do to trees by over-eating.

The study, conducted with Landcare Research New Zealand and funded by the New Zealand Government, will help the country to improve strategies for managing possum populations. Or is was a complete waste of money as half the population could have told them that possums prefer Richard Prosser - “farmers levy money financing leaves to bacon and eggs for free. sub-standard Tb testing”

Game bird hunting season so far

Young Hunter Harry Graham, 15 , from Kaikoura travelled south with family to hunt on an irrigation pond near Oxford in North Canterbury.

Thousands of hunters, including groups of families and friends, have turned out across the country at the start of the new game bird hunting season this morning.

The mild weather in many regions as the Indian summer rolls on produced very mixed fortunes.

In the central North Island at places such as Reporoa, conditions were warm and calm.

However Fish & Game staff in the Waikato say the start to the season was above average, considering the warm sunny conditions.

Rangers saw groups who’d got close to their bag limit, and a fa-

lington region, Fish & Game ranging staff say most hunters were happy – some getting limit bags and other close to it.

Down south, a Fish & Game officer in the Canterbury Region spoke of rolling up his sleeves mid-morning in the 20 degree conditions.

On the West Coast, staff say foggy conditions made for an ideal start to the season on the lower reaches of the bigger rivers.

Fish & Game rangers say there were lots of hunting parties, including family groups – and at least one party had harvested their bag limit by 8.30am.

ther and son for example, who’d bagged 19 birds between them.

In the Manawatu, ducks were reported to be flying high in the fine clear weather.

But in the Horowhenua district, some hunters were getting bag limits though hunters were working hard to achieve success. Blair Wright tries his hand at duck calling at the same irrigation In the Welpond.

Deercullers Tri-annual Reunion 9-12 March 2017 It’s official – the Deercullers Assn will be holding their 2017 Re-

union at the Thames Valley Deerstalkers premises, in Paeroa.

Deercullers Reunion 9-12 March 2017

at the Thames Valley Deerstalkers premises, Paeroa.

This reunion is only open to NZ Deercullers Assn Members.

The group who are spearheading this reunion are: Andy Leigh, Brian Neilson, Fred Dickson, Jock Spinks and Shaun Neustroski.

If anyone is able to assist or help out with anything at all during this time, or being prepared to put their hand up for other jobs as they come along.

Please email - ring Jock Spinks on 07 862 4883 or Brian Neilson 027 8910958 or brianneilson@xtra.co.nz

This reunion is only open to NZ Deercullers Assn Members.

There has never been a Deercullers Reunion anywhere in this area up until now so it’s a great opportunity to showcase what the Coromandel has to offer.

The group who are spearheading this reunion are:, Brian Neilson Andy Leigh, Fred Dickson, Jock Spinks and Shaun Neustroski so it will be a top weekend for sure.

If you are an ex deer culler, or know someone who is, pass the word along and make sure they are a paid up member.

This will be a weekend to remember with many things planned and plenty of time to reflect (tell lies) about the perceived good old days.

Motels have been penciled in for accommodation as well as room for camper vans and tents as needed.

canopies. The bush requires browsing.

It’s adapted to browsing. And the deer is the best browser to replace the extinct moa,” he said.

Possum trappers who had trapped “tens of thousands” of possums over the years told him, virtually none had Tb. Wairarapa conservationist and author of two books on the subject of the “poison industry” and ecology, Bill Benfield said the Tb control programme was arguably fraudulent, being based on demonizing the possum.

“For the last 10 years, as data shows , New Zealand has had an infection rate of 0.04 percent for the last 10 years. If I understand Possums are not a significant carrier it correctly, at 0.2% infection rate, of bovine tuberculosis (TB) said M.P. New Zealand could (and should) Richard Prosser, NZ First’s Primary declare itself Tb free, but it hasn’t, Industries and Outdoor spokesman, even though it has been at a much speaking to a recent public meet- lower figure of 0.04 percent. Yet the ing at Woodbourne near Blenheim. Animal Health Board and now OS“I’m slowly coming round to the PRI have continued to operate and opinion that possums aren’t actu- make claims as though the disease ally a pest at all, but rather an under- is rampant. Is this not fraud?” he said. utilized valuable resource that gets Hunting and fishing author Tony the blame for a lot of things that Orman said he had long held the probably aren’t it’s fault.” he said. view that possums were wrongly He based his assessment on ques- accused of causing forest damtions about possums carrying bo- age. He said MP Richard Prosser vine tuberculosis he had asked in was “bang on” in his conclusion Parliament of Primary Industries that possums were not a pest. He Minister Nathan Guy and on con- said he first wrote about it in 1961 versations with long time possum after reading 19th century missiontrappers and outdoorsmen. In ary explorer William Colenso’s diary Parliament the minister had re- recording of travels in the Ruahine plied that of 124,000 possums au- Ranges. Colenso wrote of stream topsied over the last 10 years, only beds choked with shingle, dead 54 had bovine TB. TbFreeNZ, sanc- or dying trees and giant landslips. tioned by the Department of Con- “That was decades before posservation, (DOC) frequently aerially sums, deer or any wild anispread 1080 poison. At the same mals were liberated,” he said. time, DOC were spreading 1080 in That was reinforced when he read their “Battle for the birds” campaign. of a talk Landcare Research sci“That’s a rate of 0.04 per entist Graham Nugent gave to a cent,” said Richard Prosser. “And 1994 Department of Conservaof 9830 possums autopsied in tion workshop “Possums as Pests” the last 12 months, none had when he told the department the Tb. That’s zero percent. OS- 70 million possum figure used by PRi claims of wild life spread- DOC was an exaggerated “back ing bovine TB, are totally wrong.” of a cigarette packet calculation” He also challenged DOC and and that even 70 million possums Forest and Bird claims that pos- would consume only 15 percent sums were damaging the bush. of the new foliage daily produced.

“Over 60 million years or more, New Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust Zealand’s vegetation was browsed spokesman Laurie Collins of West by several species of moa rang- Coast, said the skin test used for ing from giant to the much smaller detecting Tb in stock and which scrub and alpine moa. Other birds formed the bulk of TB testing apparsuch as pigeon and takahe browsed ently had a 20-25 percent error rate.

“That means by simple arithmetic, the probability is one in 10 stock tested, is infected but not identified by skin testing, known as a sleeper. Sleeper animals can then be sold, transported and infect a new herd and area.”

Laurie Collins said in Taranaki the then Animal Health Board, (now OSPRI) admitted potential sources for TB outbreaks included the movement of animals or the possibility that it had been in the herd some time, but not shown up in testing.

“The AHB chairman was referring to Taranaki which had several recent TB outbreaks but had no possums,” said Laurie Collins. “So much for the possum TB myth.”

Nationally infected Tb herds had fallen in number. MP Richard Prosser said with figures obtained by questions to the Minister, it strongly suggested that more effective movement control had been the real reason in the reduction, not wildlife.

“The single biggest reservoir and vector for bovine tuberculosis is cattle. It always has been cattle with the poor testing regime being used.”

Richard Prosser disputed the Department of Conservation’s claim that possums preyed on bird’s nests and instead pointed to scientific studies that showed bird material in autopsied possums was just 0.02 percent of diet.

Richard Prosser said evidence was for government in the neighbouring Town Belt on the “back doorstep” of Parliament where rats, stoats and possums lived with bird life thriving.

“The difference from wilderness public lands is they don’t dare drop 1080 poison over Wellington,” he said.

New Zealand’s use of poisons like 1080 and brodifacoum was a potential threat to exports. Exports of wild venison to Germany had been stopped because of European market concerns about 1080. Several years ago, a Bay of Plenty pet food manufacturer of pet food based on possum meat had export orders immediately cancelled when Japanese TV screened a programme on New Zealand’s aerial 1080 programme.

Meanwhile Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced 1080 poison will be dropped over hundreds of thousands hectares this winter as part of the largest ever pest control operation in New Zealand. She described the rat plague as of ‘biblical proportions.’

Footnote: Bill Benfield’s two books “The Third Wave” and “At War with Nature” are available from Tross Publishing, Wellington.

Tony Orman’s book “About Deer and Deerstalking” is available from Box 939, Blenheim. $30.

Great Mercury Island declared pest-free

Great Mercury Island/Ahuahu’s After the rat eradication in 2014, birds which had been driven off it newly declared pest-free status is an two years of surveillance and by pests – a sure sign the eradicaoutstanding example of what can be regular pest-hunting dog patrols tion has worked,” Ms Barry says. achieved with partnerships, Conser- have found no rodents remain- “As a result, the chain of isvation Minister Maggie Barry says. ing on the 1872 hectare island. lands has become a showAn eradication programme partly “We’re now able to formally case for New Zealand’s island funded by the island’s part-own- declare Great Mercury/Ahua- conservation management.” er Sir Michael Fay and involving hu pest-free,” Ms Barry says. Sir Michael says the goal of reDOC expertise has wiped out Today’s announcement means moving pests from the island the population of introduced the entire Mercury island group, has been achieved but the real kiore, ship rats and feral cats. along with the nearby iwi- challenge – keeping it that way “Sir Michael’s commitment to owned Ohinau group and the – will require constant vigilance. this project with DOC has pro- Aldermen Islands, is pest free. “We gladly celebrate this milestone duced a result that they could The eastern Coromandel islands are on Ahuahu today, but these islands not have achieved working home to a tusked weta found no- are still at risk because all it takes is by themselves,” Ms Barry says. where else in the world, kaka, sad- for one person to allow a stowaway “Forging a partnership with DOC’s dleback, little spotted kiwi, tuatara, pest on their boat to escape and scientific knowledge and the com- ten different species of lizards and undo all the hard work that has gone mitment of local volunteers has hundreds of thousands of seabirds. on here in recent years,” he says. enabled the island to become “Since 2014 Great Mercury already Membership application forms, a safe haven for native wildlife.” seen the return of kakariki and seaand assistance with them, are available from the contacts below or national treasurer Alan WilA chemist walks into his shop to find a man leaning against a wall. son at birchhill.deer@xtra.co.nz “What’s wrong with him?” he asks his assistant.

For any queries at all please email/ ring, Brian Neilson 027 8910958 or brianneilson@xtra.co.nz, Jock Spinks on 07 8624883, or Andy Leigh on 07 8687079 or anaruteitei@gmail.com.

“He came in for some cough syrup,” the assistant explained. “But I couldn’t find any, so I sold him a bottle of laxatives instead.”

“What!” the chemist says, horrified. “You couldn’t treat a cough with laxatives!”

“Of course you can,” the assistant declares. “Look at him – he’s far too scared to cough.”

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DIDYMO DAVE’S REPORT Didymo daves column banner HOMEWORK … .that word brings back all sorts of terrible memories but I suggest it’s time to do some more and here’s why.

In 2017 New Zealanders will be given an opportunity to vote and elect a Government, and as usual leading up to that time I suspect we will be inundated with advertisements and political spiel promising us all and sundry.

Now who you vote for is your business and I will respect that in this column but I would like to encourage you to have a damn good think about a few things.

Firstly, when I’m fishing a river I like to be amongst some native bush not a pile of willows, wild cherry and other rubbish plants.

I also like to see and hear a few of our native birds, the fantails, bellbirds and the odd Tomtit and I want to fish in clean water.

I might be a granddad one day and I want those things for my grandchildren and I’m prepared to get stuck in and work to make those things happen.

But what’s important to you?

Once you have worked that out and many people have already, then I believe the time is primo right now to have a look at the political landscape.

Simply, which political party will help look after what’s important to you?

How does the Minister of the Environments “wadeable rather than swimmable” statement in regards to rivers sit with you?

What about the Minister of Conservation stating that “DOC are not underfunded”?

Or NZ Firsts’ policy of getting the trawlers out past the 12 mile zone?

These are some of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately and

BAY OF PLENTY REPORT

Christiaan caught this lovely kingfish, the best he has ever caught

There is an autumn chill in the air and winter feels like it is nearly upon us. The water temperatures have fallen somewhat over the last couple of weeks, now down to 1617 degrees. Inshore fishing remains

Zack with a nice snapper caught on Ratahi

productive in the shallow water.

Snapper are still stealing the show.

On the days we have managed to dodge the squally weather systems

we have had some good steady days of fishing. There have been lots of small snapper which bodes well for the future of our fishery.

Some very good sized snapper were also caught as the photos attest.

There is certainly no need to travel far to get a good feed of fish. With only a few hours free one night, a stop in the entrance just on dusk produced 14 snapper around 4045 cm. It has also been a great time to fish in the harbour and we have also been getting excellent results just a mile off Papamoa Beach as well. On days when the strong south west breeze has been blowing, staying close to shore has been the trick as the wind blowing onto the sea knocks down any swell.

Stopping on a big cloud of sign has produced limit bags of snapper for some of the anglers. We had some guests from America who could not believe the day they had out fishing in the Bay. His best catch was a 60 cm snapper and hers a 55 cm fish. They really was reluctant to get off the boat at the end of the day, not wanting the adventure to end. I am sure they will be back!

Recently we did an overnight deep sea fishing trip to Mayor Island.

While anchored up in the evening, the kingfish turned up in abundance. There were some really good ones boated and some even better ones that got away. Everyone was hooking up and the excitement levels were high. The anglers were catching mackerel and putting them live onto a kingy rig with a running sinker. No-one got much sleep and the fish were still biting at 3 am. The largest was 27 kg, a fish of a lifetime!

The weather the following day was quite rough making hapuka fishing difficult. Only one good sized hapuka was hauled in.

The kingfish have been playing

recently I was invited to attend a meeting in Taupo with 3 senior MP’s from an opposition party.

All they seemed to want to do was bag the current Government and I came away thinking they don’t care about our environment and they won’t be getting my vote.

The current Government will be looking to be re-elected in 2017 and if that happens, how can we tell what to expect from them from 2017 -2020 as far as conservation and the environment goes?

For me the answer to that question lies in the 2016 budget due to be presented by the Minister of Finance in late May which I’m looking forward to reading.

If that budget is weak environmentally, then I believe that’s what we will get if National are re- elected.

I repeat, it’s your choice who you vote for based on what is important to you, but looking around I see the political parties showing their cards already so now is a great time to do some homework.

the game inshore too, schooling up and targeting the bottom baits.

Trevally and kahawai have been an added bonus providing good sport.

Abe from Argentina with a couple of snapper

If you are able to get your gear past them without a hook up you will likely pick up a snapper off the bottom.

Trevally make fantastic bait with the silvery skin a sure attractant to a hungry snapper. Kahawai makes

Roland caught a nice kingi not far from the Mount

good bait but you need to scale it first. The skin is very tough which makes it hard for the fish to steal.

Skippies have been caught on a lure trolled while moving from spot to spot.

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MPI - Something fishy is going on Is the Commercial Fishing Industry, NZ Government and the Ministry of Primary Industries so corrupt to the highest levels in their denials of the Auckland University Report which outlines all the mischief and damage that is being allowed to happen in our inshore fishery?

And for what, the commercial fishing industry bring in far less to this country than recreational fishing.

On one hand we have all the reported and documented over fishing, discard and high grading that’s been happening since the QMS was implemented back in 1986.

Repeated denials by the industry and claims of ‘we’re being

picked’ on have been laughed at as former commercial fishers have made complaints and been documented as supporting the wastage of fish whilst at sea.

Are the MPI management and officials so deluded that they believe they can continue to deny the facts.

The observer programme is a joke as many observers have been able to pay off debt, when the mysterious brown envelope has been found under the pillow.

While it has been difficult to obtain hard evidence the industry with MPI support have ignored and failed to follow up on many reports which is tantamount to collusion and corruption.

This newspaper has made many OIC requests and Complaints to

the Ombudsman and nothing has been done or come from it. Is the Ombudsman office corrupt as well?

Is this the level of corruption we see when government departments are protecting each other from having their dirty little secrets revealed?

We have been threatened by the MPI to try and bully us into going away. But we’re not, eventually the rotten core of the MPI will be revealed and disgraced for all Kiwis to see the level of corruption in this important industry to this country.

When an industry has to stoop so low that it blatantly ignores the cries and outrage from the public and this is condoned by its governing body

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then we are in serious trouble.

The study estimates recreational fishing accounts for only 1.3 per cent of the total catch in New Zealand waters.

New Zealand’s system of managing fish stocks by tradeable quotas has attracted a great deal of praise in the world since its introduction in 1986, without becoming global practice.

The study has revealed NZ’s true catch which suggests why the world’s fisheries have not copied it.

Canada and Iceland have much better management systems with little to no waste which suggests that the NZ system is corrupted and biased towards commercial fishng as it allows for unreported catch and wastage.

The research estimated the quantity of fish dumped once the quota had been filled, the unreported “bycatch” of other species and underreported recreational fishing, multiplied New Zealand’s total catch by 2.7 times the official tallies.

The findings are all the more disturbing because they are not really surprising. The theory of tradeable quotas always sounded too good to be true.

A total allowable catch (TAC) was set for each fish species based on its sustainable population in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone. However this ‘MPI science’ has proved to be seriously flawed as they have continually got it wrong.

MPI analysists are repeatedly making judgment calls on data which for reasons unknown to them change and prove that their guestimation (MPI science) is not only inaccurate but misguided.

The QMS should have given them a vested interest in maintaining a sustainable stock but with this damning report it appear greed has been the focus.

The fishing boats appear to have been catching more than their quota, high grading and then dumping the excess.

Led by the Auckland University business school the report con-

cludes that “the quota management system, despite its intentions, seriously undermines our purported sustainable fisheries and shows that the management is deplorable.

The lead researcher, Dr Glenn Simmons, says the quota management system needs a “robust critical review” that would include a consideration of alternatives using the latest information, processes and technology.

The failed observer programme needs scrapping and the obysmal inclusion of cameras on some vessels needs to be changed so that every commercial vessel must have cameras above and below decks. Every vessel must be fitted with AIS that cannot be turned off no matter what the circumstances.

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Recreational fishing is the most important facet of our fishing economy and the MPI need to recognized that.

Every fisheries management staff needs to be replaced with competent people that are not open to corruption and the industry needs to be forced to stop making political donations to buy favouritism.

Recreational fishing is so important to family life, giving many the ability to feed their families as the study shows recreational fishing accounts for 6% of total fish caught.

Foreign flagged vessels and all commercial fishing for export must be banned from inside 12 nautical miles around our coastline.

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CARP FARMING FIASCO During the recent carp farm fight centering around Taupo, a senior DOC manager tipped the campaigners off that they should have a look at the New Zealand Land Based Aquaculture Farm in Nelson.

Specifically this person suggested they find out where this farms juvenile stock came from and how they get there.

Then the person hung up!

So they did a little research and the short story is that juvenile carp in plastic lined wheelie bins on the back of a ute with trailer are being driven from the Mahurangi Technical Institute in Warkworth to Nelson by road

and across on the Interisland Ferry.

An application was made to the MPI under the Official Information Act for a copy of the biosecurity response plan for this activity and guess what?

The reply from MPI stated there is no legal requirement for the people shifting the carp to prepare or provide a biosecurity response plan.

Now this unbelievable given the risk these carp could do to our freshwater fisheries around New Zealand and with the current Check, Clean, Dry programme implemented by Internal Affairs and the likely hazards not adhering to these pose.

Tuna industry out of control The tuna industry is out of control. It’s emptying our oceans of fish, harming other sea creatures and exploiting its own workers.

The industry uses destructive fishing methods, like FADs (fish aggregation devices) that are fatal for many ocean creatures. But that’s only part of the story. The tuna industry is also haunted by stories of human rights abuse and worker exploitation.

Working conditions aboard tuna boats are among the worst in the world.

Chasing less and less tuna, companies are under increasing pressure to make a profit. Some cut costs by mistreating their own workforce - using forced or trafficked labour and sometimes keeping crew captive on board fishing boats for years at a time.

This is modern-day slavery in every sense, and it’s happening on

fishing boats on a global scale.

Forced labour and trafficking survivors from the tuna industry state that they are forced to work many hours a day and sometimes for days without rest for little to no pay, they are often deprived of basic needs like fresh water and regular meals.

With barely enough food to eat, the crew sometimes eat bait to survive.

They described physical abuse suffered by workers who tried to escape – beatings and broken bones - and sometimes worse. Travelling great distances, workers in the fishing industry spend months or years at sea. They are at the mercy of their employers.

Thai Union, the biggest tuna company in the world, has been implicated in stories like these, of worker exploitation and abuse, including the locking of indentured workers in cages.

You have to wonder what’s wrong with the brains, of the protectors of our waterways?

It was considered to take the initial view that this was an oversight as sometimes happens.

Contact was made to Minister MPI; Minister DOC; Hon Louise Upston, Taupo MP; Manager of the Taupo Fishery; Mayor of Taupo and all and sundry seeking an immediate halt to this risky activity until at the very least a suitable biosecurity plan can be put in place.

And the outcome – well we’ll all have to wait and see as these boffins gather and ponder the issue over tea and biscuits.

Hopefully common sense will prevail and avoid another - all-out war!!!

And, though it may seem like a faraway problem, some of this tainted tuna ends up here in New Zealand.

Mars, owner of Whiskas cat food, confirmed that it sources tuna from Thai Union for its Whiskas pouches. So Greenpeace took action, blockading the Whiskas plant in Whanganui – calling on Mars to sort out their supply chain.

It reads like a warning label: The small tin or sachet of cat food in your supermarket or kitchen cupboards may contain tuna caught by a fisherman forced to work long hours in grim conditions for little or no money.

Greenpeace are working to expose bad tuna everywhere they find it and put pressure on Thai Union at every point in their supply chain until they clean up their act.

The tuna industry is packing a huge amount of suffering into cans of tuna.

Visit us on www.facebook/Fishingandoutdoorsnewspaper footage, complaints by former commercial fishers and rec fishers, state the opposite, yet these practices still continue which indicate a single focus of double export by the MPI. How a minister in charge of an essential industry to our economy can have the shutters on while his own ministry and the commercial fishers are laughing behind his back while creating extraordinary wealth for themselves, is beyond comprehension.

“An operational review will ensure our fishing system is up to date and working as fairly and efficiently as it can. Possible options include changes

to fisheries management processes within the current legislation, regulatory change, and amendments to the Fisheries Act,” says Mr Guy. This statement in itself is extremely alarming and we take exception to a ministry changing the rules to suit themselves.

Guy says that the Government will release a public discussion document on any proposed changes to our fisheries management system later this year.

“Earlier in the year I announced that we had achieved 100 percent camera coverage of the Snapper 1 trawl fleet, and vessel monitoring systems are in place on 55 ves-

sels operating in the SNA1 fishery.

This carefully worded sentence sums up the methodology that the MPI stoop to, to display a caring and transparent attitude when in fact Vessel monitoring shows that most commercial vessels have their monitoring systems switched off and that cameras were only fitted to a few vessels.

Nathan Guy must think that the public and rec fishers are completely stupid to believe this PR spin, as we are sick and tired of the lies and denials, when the truth is that the fishery is not in good health, as those of us who were fishing in the 60’s and 70’s know full well.

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Faster rollout of fisheries monitoring Under huge pressure from the public and media, the MPI have proved to be quite incompetent in the management of the fishery, highlighted with the release of MPI’s own reports – Operation Achilles and Hippocamp, which show a deliberate intention not to prosecute commercial fishers as they are caught on MPI cameras discarding huge amounts of unwanted fish.

If this was recreational fishers they would have been prosecuted with their boats confiscated.

Nathan Guy Minister of Primary Industries Minister has signaled the Government’s intention to speed up the rollout of monitoring equipment on commercial fishing vessels.

If the MPI fail to prosecute these vessels when they are caught the electronic monitoring and camera surveillance, it is a complete joke and nothing less than a con job to appease recreational fishers who have been complaining about the

large losses of fish for many years.

Rather than spend money on something they are unlikely to use effectively, what is needed is a full ‘Ministerial Enquiry’, and a complete clean-out of the higher management, Dave Turner and Steve Halley must go, and Scott Gallacher should be put on notice.

The installation of electronic monitoring and cameras on commercial fishing vessels, started months ago, and now that they have been caught with their pants down, Guy says that this work should be fast-tracked.

What he should do is stop all commercial fishing vessels from leaving port, until cameras and electronic monitoring is fitted immediately, otherwise this is nothing more than an ineffective PR stunt.

“This increased monitoring will provide greater transparency of the commercial fleet’s activities and improve public confidence that our fisheries are being well managed,” Guy says as the supposed

transparency and confidence in the MPI plummets to an all-time low.

While the fundamentals of the QMS are sound, the management of the QMS and operational aspects by the commercial fishing sector are seriously flawed as the commercial fisherman are able to throw unwanted fish overboard without fear of prosecution, even when caught on camera.

The MPI are believed to have offered amnesty from prosecution if the commercial fleet will allow the observers onboard which shows how pathetic the fishery is managed and that the observer programme does not work, when you consider the back-handers observers admit to taking, as they turn a blind eye to illegal practices.

When the commercial fishing industry can dictate to the MPI managers how the fishery will be fished, we are in a bad state, as the MPI and Commercial fishing industry continue to deny that anything is untoward, while internal reports, video camera

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Marlborough Sounds Salmon Farms Struggling to Meet Standards - by James Speedy

New Zealand King Salmon, 53 percent owned by the Malaysian Tiong dynasty, has run into strife with its salmon farms. Cawthron monitoring revealed three New Zealand King Salmon farms in the Sounds fell short of environmental standards that the company had agreed with the Government, the Marlborough District Council, scientists and the community.

In March last year, many salmon died with King Salmon blaming warm water temperatures. Other losses have occurred. In October 2015 it was reported “Officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries and industry representatives met yesterday to mull the causes of high fish mortalities at NZ King Salmon’s Waihinau farm in Pelorus Sound during summer months.

The trend was first noticed in 2012. Response manager Chris Rodwell says MPI believes there are a range of factors at play including high water temperatures, water flow, diet and even sea anemone stings. Two bacte-

ria not previously detected in New Zealand have also been found.”

Now King Salmon wants to shift the location of farms to more suitable sites - where aquaculture was currently banned. Cawthron found pollution under pens and seabed enrichment, due to fish waste and feed falling on the seabed. But King Salmon CEO said while the impression might be the farms were getting worse, the blame was tighter standards.

The “Marlborough Express” ran a front page article highlighting King Salmon’s trouble and wish to shift sites. Andi Cockcroft, co-chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreational Associations said the front page story on the problems with Malaysian backed King Salmon and the need to shift locations of salmon farms was another big concern.

“It raises the question why in 2012, were King Salmon granted four extra sites out of nine applied for?

The judgement was flawed. If the Malaysian company is allowed to shift location, then the sites vacated should not be retained by the corporate. It is public sea bed space, King Salmon is occupying for which they pay no rates,” he said.

The Ministry of Primary Industries called for improved

performance by the farms.

Another organization Guardians of the Sounds welcomed the Ministry for Primary Industries’ call for New Zealand King Salmon to “lift their game” and comply with best management practice guidelines at their farms in the Marlborough Sounds.

An independent monitoring report recently released by the Council described conditions beneath one farm as “heavily polluted, supporting bacteria mats that oxidize sulphur and only a handful of organisms alive.”

Two other farms also failed to meet the best practice guidelines. King Salmon wanted “breathing space” to allow it to meet guidelines by 2024.

But Guardians’ chairman Paul Keating said NZ King Salmon said it was not acceptable for NZ King Salmon to wait until 2024 to meet best management practice guidelines across all farms.

High-flow sites were in parts of the Marlborough Sounds currently prohibited to aquaculture as the community highly valued these areas for recreation, fishing and tourism.

Guardians of the Sounds says NZKS needs to do more to reassure the community that they are farming sustainably.

“Sustainable management means managing the resources of the Sounds to meet the needs of future generations and the environment . That is central to the Resource Management Act and sensible Kiwi ethics,” says Keating.

Commercial fishers untrustworthy Volker Kuntzsch CEO of Sanford’s has made a poor response to the University of British Columbia report, Reconstruction of Marine Fisheries Catches for New Zealand (1950-2010), which uses historical catch information from New Zealand fisheries and claims these are 2.7 (between 1950 and 2010) times

larger than the official records.

Sanford’s are pushing for recreational fishers to report their catch which is a rather pathetic response to the cries for Commercial fishers to tidy up their act. Rec fishers should not be required to report catch and any attempts to force this should be stomped on.

Due to the large number of unre-

ported catch records in the reports and hidden video records held MPI which clearly show discard and the netting of dolphin whilst the industry claims that we have a world leading fisheries management regime and mostly healthy fish stocks.

We simply cannot believe or trust the reporting of commercial catch.

Visit us on www.facebook/Fishingandoutdoorsnewspaper and flood plain works, a diversion drain and erosion protection, the digging of a new stream channel and a range of other activities.

Since Christmas the site has coped with more than 800 millimetres of rain, including the big onein-10 years rainfall event that occurred in late April.

Waikato Regional Council says that event would have Photo shows ongoing work at Graham’s Creek. normally seen many properties along Ocean Beach completed so far includes the bulk Rd affected by flood water and damof the main new stopbank, spillway age to properties. But, despite the new

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flood control system still being under construction, the upgraded floodway works and water diversions already in place operated very successfully.

Further work, including the planting of 13,000 trees, is due to be completed by June 2016.

The regional council’s Coromandel constituency councillor Clyde Graf said feedback he’d received indicated the works stood up very well to the recent storm, and he thanked council staff for their efforts. “It’s good to look back at the photos and video footage and see the progress that has been made in such a short period of time.”

Annual Kai Iwi Lakes Trout Fishing Contest

Long-time competitor and supporter of the Kai Iwi Lakes Trout Fishing Competition, Graeme Tearle with a 62.5 cm, 3.145 Rainbow trout caught in the 2015 competition.

The annual Kai Iwi Lakes trout fishing contest is on the weekend of July 2 and 3. The contest is always the highlight of the northern freshwater fishing calendar and has been running for approximately 35 years, with regular trout anglers coming most years to try proving their skills and hoping for some luck against their counterparts.

Lakes Kai Iwi, Taharoa and Waikare are a group of three lakes known as the Kai Iwi Lakes, and are freshwater dune lakes 30 Kms north of Dargaville off State Highway 12.

Lakes Waikare and Taharoa are

stocked each year with Rainbow Trout fingerlings from the Rotorua hatchery. Fish & Game New Zealand, Northland Region’s Manager, Rudi Hoetjes says the annual release of fingerlings will be released into Lakes Taharoa and Waikare in early June to take advantage of abundant autumn feed, allowing fish to reach takeable size within six to eight months of their release.

Those fishermen who have not experienced angling Kai Iwi style, should make this contest the year to sample Northland’s wonderful trout and experience Northland’s hospitality and Northland Fish & Game Council’s family focused premiere fishing event.

The lakes have been fishing very well over the past couple of years with some very nice trout being caught by anglers with a range of methods as allowed under the Northland Anglers Notice.

Tales of fishing this contest are talked about throughout the angling fraternity and feedback for this year is that 3 and 4 year old trout out of both Lakes have a great condition factor, which bodes well for an ex cellent

catch for the 2016 contest.

The continued wonderful and

very generous support from all of our sponsors has provided a fantastic variety of prizes for the different categories.

Tickets will be available from McCoy & Thomas Sports and Nola’s Sports in Dargaville, and through Northland Fish & Game and Hunting & Fishing Okara Drive in Whangarei, from the 4th June 2014. Please either email northland@fishandgamenorthland.org.nz or phone 09 438 4135 to purchase these tickets. Tickets and rules will also be available from the Fishing Headquarters, Lake Waikare from 7.00 a.m. on Saturday 5 July. Entry fee is $50.00 for adults and juniors and children are free to enter but must juniors must hold a current fishing licence.

Fishing commences on Saturday 2 July from 7.00am and closes at 12 noon on Sunday 3 July.

Camping at the Kai Iwi Lakes is available by phoning 09 439 0986 or search the internet for the many Bed & Breakfast accommodation close by to the Lakes.

A BBQ lunch will be provided at the final weigh-in prior to the prize giving on Sunday from 12.30 pm at the fishing headquarters.

KAI IWI LAKES TROUT FISHING COMPETITION 2nd and 3rd July 2016 Registration Forms: Available from Northland Fish and Game McCoy & Thomas Dargaville, Nolas Sports Dargaville McCoy & Thomas Whangarei Or http://northland@fishandgame.org.nz

See graph above: Recreational fishers believe that while commercial state 100 per cent is reported to MPI, that 50% goes unrecorded and recreational fishers have 100 per cent enjoyment.

Offences listed from the MPI Operation Achilles report The following are some of the findings from this initial review: 1.

Evidence of substantial Elephant Fish (ELE) discards mainly small or damaged fish (High grading).

2.

Evidence of many small gurnard (GUR) and retention of large

GUR again indicating high grading.

3.

Discarding of most rough skate (RSK) these are subsequently not shown in the catch return as a schedule 6 discard.

4.

During haul 22: retention of hapuka (HAP) which is not recorded in the catch effort return.

5.

Hail 15: retention and filleting of HAP, RSK, GUR and flounder (FLA) which are not reported in the catch effort return.

6.

Haul 19: Discarding of kahawai (KAH) which

is not recorded in the return.

7.

Hauls 14 and 16: Kingfish discarded, one clearly over size limit, none of which are recorded in the catch return.

8.

Haul 5: A short haul where only a small number of fish are caught, this is not recorded at all in any return as required.

9.

Haul 21: A 2 hour haul where a few SCH/SPO and ELE are landed and a substantial quantity of moki (MOK) are discarded. This haul is not recorded in any return.

Graham’s Creek works handle recent rough weather New flood protection works being carried out at Graham’s Creek on the Coromandel have already been reaping benefits for the lo-

cal community, including during last month’s major downpour which caused widespread problems.

Construction on the $600,000 proj-

ect started in October last year. Since then some 23,000 cubic metres of material has been moved to bolster flood protection infrastructure. Work

Accommodation Bookings for camping can be made directly at Kai Iwi Lakes Campground Ph: 09 439 0986 or email: lakes@kaipara.govt.nz Come for a great weekend of fun

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MPI busted and in full denial

Dave Turner -

Deny

Nathan Guy -

When Scott Gallacher and the minister Nathan Guy from MPI come out from behind their desks it is serious business.

The shambles surrounding the lack of fish in the Hawkes Bay, where David Turner MPI was forced by public pressure to go back to the Bay to establish several commercial free fishing reserves, after initially denying that there was any problem in the fishery, left him with zero credibility and highlights one of the issues.

Then for Turner to go on National TV and to deny there was anything wrong with the health of the fishery, is absurd to say the least. Was it because he was embarrassed in front of his peers or for being caught by them?

Enter Scott Gallacher and Nathan Guy with more denials and straight faces. So what has got these very high paid government employees, out from behind the office doors.

Surely it must be the level of embarrassment and corruption that the Auckland University Business School report exposes?

There has been a very large amount of money spent on this independent study into the state of our fishery, including our Quota system, by our citizens. Why? Simply because almost every fisherman has been complaining about the state of the fishery and

Deny

Scott Gallacher -

lack of fish for the last several years?

Complaints to the MPI have been shrugged off with a level of rudeness that is beyond comprehension. Official Information requests have been cold shouldered.

The Auckland University Business School report is very comprehensive, so we will point out a couple of the most important issues which are most relevant.

1. DISCARD - as it stands, the skipper of a commercial fishing vessel is responsible for estimating the weight of any discard, of quota species of fish or protected fish or mammals caught.

This includes accidental loss. MPI know how wasteful the bulk harvest methods are, so they are happy if discard is reported.

If the reported discard, is of a species of fish that is in the quota system, then the amount of the discard will come off the commercial fishers quota for that fishing year or if the fisher is fishing somebody else’s quota then off their quota.

For this reason it is more lucrative financially for the commercial fisherman to underestimate the amount of waste or discarded fish floating away or better still not report it at all.

This has led to the commercial fishing practice of fishing at night, so that large amounts of fish can be

Deny

dumped under the cover of darkness and at hours when few recreational fishers are likely to find floating fish or catch them dumping.

2.

HIGH GRADING. Then there is the practice of sorting a catch into the size and species targeted which the commercial fisher has quota for.

They then cut the belly of the legal sized oversized target species, unwanted fish or fish which they don’t have quota for with a knife, to make them sink.

This is all in an effort to land only the highest value fish for the tonnage allowed for that fishing year.

MPI have been set a goal by the National Party, Nathan Guy and John Key, to double the value of the export fishery by 2025, discard and high grading is the price of that.

So enter into the mix the Auckland University Business School report that the media have jumped on.

This was definitely not part of the governments ‘double export’ plan. For the public to catch them lying and to see this exposed on prime time television, with dead dolphins and fish of legal size fish being discarded, is extremely embarrassing. Hence the denials.

On the Paul Henry breakfast show Scott Gallacher and Nathan Guy were in full denial that the NZ fishery was anything but healthy.

commercial fishing industry took - by Graham Carter and Rhys Smith their own action, from the only information available as the MPI slammed the door shut in their faces.

To the extent that they employed a recognized authority to carry out an investigation into the state of the fishery hence the Simmons report.

Even from within the ranks of the Steve Halley - Deny commercial fishThey then attempted to pass the blame ers, there are some who are so sick onto the commercial fishers for not re- of the lack of response from the inporting the huge number of discards. dustry and MPI and the wastage, that So with no credibility left for anything they have invented their own cod the MPI all but abandoned the Director end nets, so at least they can abide of Fisheries Management David Turn- by the rules and fish sustainably. ers response and out comes Scott Gal- 3. CAMERAS and AIS: then came the lacher and Nathan Guy to protect him. cameras and tracking systems. The Did they do any better? cameras must have displeased MPI No, not at all, all these guys are over- because the footage was so bad it paid civil servants with big red faces, was an MPI secret. And yet they still all because they have been caught cut fish below deck and sweep them trying to extract every penny out of out the scuppers under cover of darkthe commercial fishery, at any cost. ness. Cameras have changed nothing.

Really, all need to be sacked for the We believe the commercial fishers nondisclosure of the reports that that have AIS turn them off, because showed dead dolphin, that we pre- they disappear from monitoring. sumably paid for with tax payer dollars. Every vessel must have cameras Both of these guys are constantly above and below decks; and an AIS trying to manipulate the percep- system which cannot be turned off.

OBSERVER PROGRAMME: MPI tion, of a largely dishonest indus- 4. try, when every commercial fisher have also realized that the observer worth his salt, knows different. programme was floored, but it had The record of the fishing industry its advantages to them because validates the report. The industry has they had the ability to manipuin the past destroyed itself when left late both the observer or make any to its own devices pre quota system report that was not conducive to when they simply keep on plun- the ‘double export’ plan disappear dering until the fishery collapsed. altogether. Finding a brown enveThe industry still keeps up wasteful lope under your pillow also corfishing practices, until recreational rupts the system as observers fear fishers, who are sick and tired of all for their lives if they don’t accept it. the good size fish washing up on our But really, why are we shocked beaches, were constantly rebutted at the revelations of corrupby the MPI and with abuse from the tion and sneaky non-disclosure

from the fishermen and the MPI. Who else but prisoners of the crown require that amount of surveillance in their place of work.

Things have changed a bit now though, as there is finally some good commercial fishers that have big boy undies on and are willing to tell all.

The truth from these guys only makes Guy, Gallacher and Turner look like idiots. The Auckland University Business School report details a vast amount of statements which have to be investigated to substantiate the level of corruption in the MPI. Heads must roll and maybe Gallacher and Turner need to check out the situations vacant pages.

Then Volker Kuntz from Sanford’s steps up and attempts to divert attention to the snapper in the Hauraki Gulf.

Even Nick Smith Environment Minister acknowledges that the government proposed the Kermadec sanctuary because the government is concerned about the health of our oceans and the need for a protection initiative, which basically highlights the disregard the commercial fishing industry and MPI has for our oceans.

If John Key had any sense he would recognize the failing of the ‘export double mandate’ inflicted on the MPI and focus on the recreational industry and tourism which brings more to the economy than the whole Fishing Industry, thereby making the inshore fishery more abundant.

This Auckland University Business School report affects every single person in New Zealand that enjoys the sport of recreational fishing as the MPI have done absolutely nothing to sort out the commercial fishing anomalies.

President Bill Clinton springs to mind, he said “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” Monaca Lewinsky said “yeah you did.”

And now even in their own office there is leaks of memos and reports, the list of who Guy, Turner and Gallacher can trust to have lunch with is getting much smaller to the point where they may have to eat alone.

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