Marine Purse seining ban long overdue

Sam Woolford, LegaSea Project Lead sam@legasea.co.nz

The decline of available food sources for snapper and other creatures won’t improve if indiscriminate purse seining of important food sources continues in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Earlier this year, Ministry for Primary Industries reports showed that snapper in the Gulf are starving, pointing to ecosystem collapse and a lack of food available as causes.

But snapper aren’t the only ones struggling to find food – seabird species are leaving their gulf feeding grounds to go on long trips south to bring food back for their young.

Small schooling fish species, known as forage fish or bait fish, are important food sources for larger fish such as kingfish, seabirds and mammals including dolphins. Forage fish include anchovy, mackerel, pilchards and kahawai. The variety and numbers of forage fish are declining. There are many contributing factors to the decline in available food sources. An estimated 4 million kilograms of forage fish are purse seined out of the Hauraki Gulf every year. Purse seining works by setting a large net, sometimes up to two kilometres long, in a circle around the bait school and then drawing the net in slowly to create a ‘purse’. In the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, the most fish caught, by weight, is blue mackerel – a fish much smaller than snapper. Using a seine net, thousands of mackerel can be caught in one set.

Fisheries New Zealand puts little effort into measuring the effects of taking so many fish. In December 2019, an estimated 1000 kilograms of dead mackerel were ‘accidentally lost’ from a commercial vessel, some of them washing up on the shores of

Legasea says the most effective way to improve the long term productivity of the marine environment is to remove destructive fishing techniques such as bottom trawling, scallop dredging, and Danish and purse seining from the Hauraki Gulf.

Kawau Island. And, around 90% of blue mackerel is exported, usually as frozen food or bait.

Seafood New Zealand statistics show whole, frozen blue mackerel is being exported for around $1.80 a kilo. At this bargain basement price, we need to rethink our priorities in favour of sustaining the environment including our birds, mammals and other fish species. The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has the authority to ban any fishing method on the basis of sustainability. Banning purse seine fishing means we can protect the food sources that are so important to sustaining the sealife we treasure, including our snapper, seabirds, dolphins, and whales.

22 Support for Seniors, Warkworth Library, 10.30am-12 noon. Presented by Paddy Sullivan, Age Concern Rodney.

26-28 Wellsford Drama Club presents Keep to Thy First Wife, Wellsford Community Centre, 7pm (Friday and Saturday) and 2pm matinee on Sunday. Tickets $20 at the door

27 Hello Sailor, Leigh Sawmill, 8pm. Tickets $54.55 at the door.

27&28 Albertland Celebrations, Albertland Heritage Museum. Info: https://albertlandmuseum.co.nz/ (see story & column p14)

28 Fabric Rescue Market, Matakana Community Hall, 10am-2pm. Sale of unwanted fabric and craft/sewing items for koha. Info: Julie Tuck on 027 570 8151 or email fabricrescuemk@gmail.com

28 Stephen De Pledge presented by Warkworth Music, Warkworth Town Hall, 4-6pm (see story p19)

29 Life without a car, Age Concern Rodney Health Promotion, Warkworth Library, 10.30am-midday

30 Wellsford Plus annual general meeting, Wellsford Community Centre, 6.30pm. All current members welcome.

31 Warkworth Lions Quiz Night, Warkworth Bowls Club, Mill Lane; teams of six, $10 per person.

1 Strike Up the Band, a celebration of the big band era, Warkworth Town Hall, 11am. Tickets $39

1-5 June Art exhibition & sale, Estuary Art Centre, 214B Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa https://harbourhospice.org.nz/event/hibiscus-coast-art-exhibition/

2-10 Starting from Scratch art exhibition, Takatu Studio, 201a Takatu Road, Matakana, 9am-3pm. New ceramics and paintings by Helene Carpenter.

4 Tawharanui Planting Day, 9am-1pm. Meet at the Woolshed; tools, gloves and lunch provided

4 Whakatōnga ā Te Muri community planting day (see ad p for details)

7 Warkworth Liaison Group meeting, downstairs meeting room at Warkworth RSA, Mill Lane, 7pm

10 Quiz Night, Ahuroa Fire Station, 383 West Coast Road, 7pm. Prizes and raffles, cash bar, bring a plate or snacks to share. Tables of 6 or individual tickets, $10 per person. No Eftpos. RSVP and info: ahuroa.quiz@gmail.com

11 Leys Orchestra Family Concert, Warkworth Town Hall, 3pm. Free

IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT MORE LOCAL, THEN WHY NOT JOIN US!

WARKWORTH TOWN HALL

Warkworth Town Hall has been a centre of community life for Warkworth, Kaipara and the Matakana Coast for over 100years. The recently renovated hall and facilities are available for everyone in the Mahurangi community to hire. In the entranceway to the Warkworth Hall stands an octagonal memorial to the members of our local community who fought in the Great Wars. It lists the towns and villages in our community whose men and women 'signed up', were all farewelled and some welcomed home - at Warkworth Town Hall. 100 years on, the residents and families of these same communities have contributed to the restoration of this important local building, through their rates and donations.

Saturday 27th May, 10am-2pm next to Warkworth Butchery

Treat

Tuesday 6th June, 5.30 - 8pm

• Tony from "Mead in New Zealand"Oak aged award winning Mead

• Diana from "Four Little Birds"

Patisserie and Cakes

• Christina from "Reveal Yourself"

Holistic Healthy Nutrition

15-28 French Film Festival, Matakana Cinemas (see story and win tickets p19)

17 Improv Comedy Night, Warkworth Squash Club, Shoesmith Street, 7.30pm. Tickets $25 per person. Contact Kaye Jackson on 021 135 7574 or squashykaye@ icloud.com

19 Low Vision Support Group, Summerset Falls Village, Warkworth, 1.30pm. All welcome. Info: enquiries@mcdonaldadams.co.nz

24 Volunteer Open Day, Matakana Hall, 10am-1pm. The Forest Bridge Trust event to celebrate National Volunteer Week (see brief p16)

25 Leigh Mid-winter Swim, Matheson Bay, 10.30am start (see brief p6)

30 Movie Magic, a Matakanata Choir concert at Matakana Hall, 7.30pm; tickets $20 adults, gold coin children

29–July 2 Puhoi 160th celebrations, includes a lunch, dance and church service. Info and tickets puhoibohemianmuseum@gmail.com or ph 027 211 0316.