f ind u s in you r f a vou rit e st o r e o r o nlin e a t th ef ishin gp a pe r. c o .n z
• Ope ning Weeke n d R ou nd u p
• C u st om a r y Right s an d Marin e Titl e s
• B l uef in T u n a Su cc e s s
• Hu tch w ilc o R ou n d u p
• Mainlan d Catch A p p
Too many choices, and I don’t have my glasses to read the labels and prices, I just want gun cleaner but I’m stonkered by the array of products before me.
Sensing an opportunity the retailer approaches and after a brief conversation he enquires, “what have you been using?”. A thought bubble appears above his head. I can see it plain as day. In the bubble are brands like Hoppes, M-Pro and Bore-Tech. I hesitate and the bubble changes, now it has ‘Oh God, she’s going to say CRC’ in it.
I squirm. Should I be honest? Before I can decide whether to be honest or not, the truth tumbles from my lips –“the hose”
Despite the retailers’ professionalism I see a momentary crease of his brow and lightning bolt flash of horror in his eyes.
The current thought bubble explodes in comic book style
Another, more emotive thought bubble appears –‘What? The hose! This woman is a disgrace to our kind!!’
True, I am a hunting retailer’s nightmare as I don’t parade labels or products. I’m under no obligation to please anyone but myself. And what pleases me is to hunt wearing preloved bargain clothing,
to promote no single brand or company, and to travel light and fast - nearly naked if you asked the opinion of a person promoting guns, gear, gadgets or accessories.
So, I pretend not to notice the retailer’s disgust and I do well to hide my smile along with my very
but ideal hunting conditions.
And I was in luck, or thought I was. I heard the roar of a testosterone-fuelled stag up a side gully, the light breeze in my favour. I whistled up there under the cover of the bush, I positioned myself beautifully and I
faulty, the rifle firing pin was.
The stag paused and looked at me haughtily before vanishing into the mist. Forever gone It would be easy to quit, to go home to a warm fire and a cup of tea. Instead, I sat on the wet dirt, and I pulled my rifle apart as the trees dripped
Waited impatiently, reassembled the rifle, worked the bolt and dry fired. Once, twice, three times. Every time a winner. But would it go click – kaboom with a bullet in the chamber? Only one way to find out.
I hunted on, sopping wet and goose-bumpy Boots squelching.
own thought bubble – ‘shoulda seen me yesterday!’
Yesterday it had been drizzling as I stalked stags. Everything was saturated, including me in no time at all. I persisted; it was only water after all. Cold, uncomfortable and
played the perfect game of patience. Too easy.
Through the mist and moisture, a stag strode confidently across the scrub-dotted clearing. He was on a mission, scenting along the game trail which contoured east to west. He wouldn’t stop, just marched head-down till I despaired of getting a good shot. I mewed, hind-like, and he finally paused to roar Yeah boi!
Click. Feck.
I ejected the dud bullet and loaded another. I sighted quickly, desperately, before the stag resumed his march. Click. Feck.
The bullets were not
steadily on my head. Wet hair and sweat and tree-tainted rainwater make me blink and cuss. I thought, possibly, that the bolt face had been soiled with deer blood after my last hunt and the firing pin was now jammed.
I tried wiping it clean, but I had nothing but a to use and both were far too bulky. There was only one thing at my disposal that would break down dried blood and that was saliva. A bit of spit and polish.
I licked the bolt face, dribbled spittle like a Bernard. Felt bloody stupid and didn’t taste too flash either
see him, he hid within the scrub, taunting me with his love-song. Should I answer his call and move closer? Or should I wait, and risk not seeing him escape? Could not decide
Suddenly he was out of the scrub and on the move. A long shot. Free-standing and awkward I peered through my scope, centred crosshairs, allowed for distance and angles and subconsciously expected click, feck. I was fully expecting not to hear the ear shattering boom nor feel the recoil as I pulled the trigger, but it happened exactly as it should.
Nose dripping. Eye lashes weighing heavy with nature’s sparkles. And, eventually, I heard another stag far yonder
Adrenalin on one hand. Doubt on the other. Ifs, buts and maybes. Did I commit to the distance, the stalk, the desire to master the Master – or would it be a waste another click, feck episode?
I persisted. You knew I would. Ever the optimist.
Another side-gully Another roaring stag. His roars echoed in the close confines, surround-sound till my heart rate was doubled and my muscles trembled. I could not
The stag reared high, tumbled and somersaulted down the face. He kicked and grunted, sliding on the wet grass and pig rooting, an avalanche of dirt and deer came at me like the proverbial freight train. So, later, as I trudged along with rifle slung and stag head and antlers across my shoulders, backsteaks in my hand and venison heart in my pocket there was a drip-line about midway down my back. At that point stag blood and free-flow sweat came together at the same point as working parts of rifle and scope
Blood upon blood, congealing to a sticky mess from sling swivel to sling swivel and everywhere between. Call me a disgrace to hunting kind but later
the hose as I had done before and will do again. I dried it, put it in the gun cupboard and thought to myself ‘I’ll buy some gun cleaner and lube tomorrow, though some CRC would probably do it!’
One of the best eating fish in the Ocean the Johnny D is a sought after species to catch! With its huge convoluted mouth for sucking back streamlined flat body sporting a large black
JD is a welcome addition to anyones catch bag.
winter is a great time to catch JDs in prime condition.
such as baby kahawai and mackerel on a ledger style rig.
JDs will also take slow pitch jigs and sliders as well as soft baits. They like to hang around structures and hide while they wait for their prey to swim past.
Target rocky and weedy bottoms from a boat.
Johnny Tightlines
Land fishing , try wharfs and piers. They like to hang around the pylons.
Use burley to attract the bait fish. This will bring the Johnnys around.
Be persistent and patient and you will be rewarded.
• The first is suitable for 22 Hornet through to 243 including, 222, 223, 22-250, 243.
• The second suppressor is suitable for 6.5 through to 30-06 including 6.5 prc, 270, 7mm-08, 284, 280, 308, 7.62 x 39 etc (not including 300 PRC or belted magnums).
• 9” in length (230mm), sits 4” forward & 5” back over the barrel (this is a “fixed” length and cannot be changed or added to) Weight 360 – 370grams (alu internal muzzlebrake 5-6,000 rnds)
• Colour - Black
Tag and release
Commercial fishers mainly targeting jack mackerel but at times other species have been tagging kingfish for several years and it is heartening to see a number of recaptures have been reported with some being at liberty after tagging for several months.
This data allows us to see that they migrate but not unfortunately where it has travelled in the interim period. To do this it would require the use of a much more expensive tag that would record latitudes and longitude and other data. Lengths are recorded once tagged and released, and again on capture so that we can measure growth over time
In the past the main fishing areas for kingfish have been the east and west coast of the North Island and Northland but in later years they have shown up more on the west coast and southern regions of the South Island.
One reason for this could be the warming ocean currents but we need more water temperature data to correlate this with this assumption. Such work is ongoing and we have reported previously on the industry contribution to
Met Ocean sensor data collection.
Whilst the tagging of kingfish has been predominately done in the South Taranaki Bight, more recently one of our vessels fishing for other species in the Snares Island area in southern New Zealand have
asman Bay 8kg Bait Box
Bullet Tuna (Baby Bonito)
Barracouta Sides approx 2kg
Arrow Squid Premium Grade 100-200g
Arrow Squid Bait Ungraded
Trevally Skin on Fillets
Tuna & Squid Burley Bombs approx 2kg
caught kingfish as a bycatch. This allows us to tag kingfish in areas where they are not traditionally found. It will be interesting to see how far these fish may venture
Those tagged in the Taranaki Bight area have shown up as far north as Northland
migrations to Hauraki Gulf. These fish were about 80 cm long when tagged north of Farewell Spit about the same time around the beginning of 2021 and moved 525-550 nautical miles (shortest distance by sea) in 330-361 days. It is possible that these fish were part of the same school which shifted along the coasts of the North Island. Overall, the shortest period at liberty was 229 days and longest 747days.
Kingfish stock assessment
and landings data from commercial fisheries are used to develop indices for our fisheries and in particular the mid water fisheries. Standardised catch per
been developed for the KIN 7 and KIN 8 which constitutes the west coasts of the North and South Islands. Regular monitoring and updates to the analyses have shown the increase in levels in both areas. The CPUE plot shows
how far above the target level (horizontal blue dashed line) the stocks currently are at. Avoidance of kingfish is an issue and can cause the changing trend over time. The impact from deemed values also cause fishers to avoid. If they do not have quota to cover their catch they are penalised. The need for the quota level (Total Allowable commercial catch –TACC) to increase is something that is paramount and may need adjustment. More information on kingfish and these analyses can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries website under Plenary documents.
and Hauraki Gulf as shown by the plot. The shortest distance was about 5 nautical miles and the longest 550 nautical miles.
Most of the recaptures
west coast of the North Island or top of the South Island with a couple of standout
As the day broke on the first Saturday of May it was calm and a bit foggy, not good for the ducks but no one in our hunting party would complain. We had made it to the last opening morning on my father-in-law’s pond while they still owned it. This has been an amazing pond with some very special shoots over the years.
It is a large body of water and there are 3 permanent maimais set up to cover as much as possible. This year there was also a 4th pop-up hide in the corner so one of the guys could bring his girlfriend along for the first time
Duck hunting eve was upon us and there was plenty of discussions on where the decoys would be placed, who was putting the decoys out and where we would each shoot. It felt great to be around the others, especially with my dad and best mate down from Auckland. You could feel the excitement as all the banter and trashtalking was coming out. With the alarms set for 4:30 am and the motorbike trailer loaded up with the decoys, the guns and ammo locked away ready for the morning it was time to try and get some sleep
We woke to a starfilled sky and after a breakfast of porridge runs started down to the pond to drop guys and I walked down with our dogs Ellie and Ace. Cameron and I donned the waders to start putting decoys around the main hide with the light from our headlamps bouncing across the water in the early morning mist. Dad was getting our gear sorted inside the maimai ready for us to start.
It always feels like a rush to get the decoys out in time but we were done about 15 minutes before legal starting time. Once we got all the guns and gear in our spots we were right on the starting time but it was still too dark to see the birds among the clear sky and tall trees. We could hear one of the ponds down the road start up and they had a great shoot all morning, personally,
Gareth Faulknerwalk around the pond with Ace, who was amped as ever to get out there and do what he loves. It was time for
gas cooker which I told my Dad was hot and he proceeded to burn his mouth on.
The birds started to return around 10 am which I think is farmers out and about moving any birds that may be sitting on paddocks or puddles. My highlight
I find it great to hear that others are doing well.
We started a bit slow with quite a few birds flying around and on the water so we tried to scare them away without firing any shots hoping they would return later in the day They did move on, and as the light improved we were on. At first, we had a few birds flying around and due to the lack of wind, they were not committed to where we needed them in the main hide This isn’t an issue as any ducks on the water shots at other birds ,generally fly past other hides.
My shooting early on was dismal with struggling to get onto the birds correctly, I was in the middle so had my Dad and Cameron to back me up, and there was plenty of that happening. We had birds coming in until about 9 am and they started to slow down. So was time for a quick
back to where he could easily climb out about 200 metres back and he still had the bird.
Getting back to the house, we had 70 mallards and a handful of parries hanging on the wall to dry. It was
we were happy with the birds considering that the weather was against us the whole time
from this part of the day was hearing the wings of a shoveler buzz the hide, for me to then jump up and take the drake with the first shot and get to it before Dad and Cameron. We continued till lunchtime working a few birds into land and then taking the next mob to give the others a chance at some birds.
Doing the next round of clearing and finding birds, Cameron and I walked a small creek that is well planted back to the house with Ellie and Ace to find a couple of birds that we saw go in there. Ace was in his element in there, working hard with his nose to find any birds. Quickly he got onto the first and pulled it out from under the water and weed. The second bird was quite a bit further up where the side of the creek was relatively steep but he found it and not wanting to climb up the steep sides he pushed through all the weeds
We headed back down to the pond for the afternoon flight and with a little bit of wind starting to blow around and thinking that the ducks might be hungry for a feed we could be in for a good few hours of ducks.
The ducks did come thick and fast for a few hours and we had 86 mallards down before it was too dark to shoot. It was time to pack up and pick up the ducks, Ace had a small limp at the end, which at the time I thought he was just a bit sore from all the work. Later I found toenail.
Sunday with our later start we had thick fog and the ducks wanted to fly when this started to lift. We had a few ducks coming in and my shooting was improving. The next minute we got buzzed by a mob of 8 shovelers and in the next pass we ended up shooting 7 of them. We sent the dogs out to retrieve them and noticed that the Fish and Game Rangers had turned up at the back of the maimai to check in on us. While they were there the ducks turned up We were calling and shooting ducks while they were checking our licenses and walking around. This is only the second time I have ever seen a Ranger and the first in over 20 years. It was good to see them out and about.
All weekend we had seen and heard geese flying around the district, with the fog still hanging around a pair flying at about 40 metres came cruising over the pond, we
shouted to the guys at the far end where they were heading. They managed to pull one of them down. It was an awesome sight. The fog fully lifted at morning tea time and the ducks stopped flying so it was time to pick up the 20 birds we had gotten and head back to the house for a quick bite before starting the big job of plucking and gutting the birds.
This year I thought I would try my hand at using the pluckers and it wasn’t the best time to pick up having a beard. With our total of 178 Mallards and a handful of Paradise Ducks to process it does take a while even with all hands working on it, but being able to have that free-range meat in our freezer is great.
I needed to head back Sunday afternoon for work and family life, but this was another memorable opening weekend and I am thankful to be able to spend the time with family and friends doing something we love, especially to my father-in-law who has put his heart and soul into his pond over the last 18 years and we have seen the dramatic changes that have come from it.
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Each year many people spend thousands of dollars on boats, electronics, fishing gear, fuel, bait and burley, yet some fishers do not want to spend another $20$30 per trip to buy some ice to look after the fish they catch.
Many people tend to neglect their fish once they have been caught. At the end of a day’s fishing, the fish you have caught is the ultimate prize. Not icing or looking after it correctly will see the fish deteriorate much quicker and the quality of the fish won’t be as good as it could have.
Looking after your fish starts from the moment it leaves the water until the time it is served on your plate. Below is a summary of why you should look after your fish and some after them that might be helpful.
The Japanese are the world experts in seafood preparation and consumption, which resulted in the development of the iki-jime method for producing high quality commercially caught fish. Iki-jime involves putting a spike through the brain of a fish causing immediate death. Then the rigor mortis process can commence and is an important part of getting quality fish. You will know if you have hit the brain as the fish will tense up, normally curl its tail up and flare its mouth and gills and there should be no more movement. It can take a bit of practice to get it right, but it is a good way of dispatching the fish quickly and easily
It is also good practice to bleed your fish. The best way is to cut the membranes on either side of the gills. Don’t slit the throats, just the membranes as
that still allows the fish to pump the blood out. Once bled and killed, I gut my fish. This has many advantages; it gets rid of the rubbish and avoids the guts contaminating any flesh when you are filleting the fish and allows the ice or ice slurry to get into the gut cavity and chill the fish down. Blue cod have stomach contents even on ice, so it is best to gut blue cod. Just be aware you cannot cut the throats on blue cod as part of the process, they must remain intact.
Chilling your fish down once they are caught is very
Dan Goviermethod of chilling your fish. Some people will use frozen bottles of water, but that doesn’t go around all surfaces of the fish so does not chill the fish anywhere near as good as flake ice. Using a slurry of ice and sea water is the best way to chill the core temperature of the fish down quickly
Having an insulated bin helps contain your fish with the ice over it, and keeps it out of the sun, further assisting with the chilling process. There are
insulated bins on the market these days and they do vary in quality Generally, the more you pay, the longer it will keep ice frozen. If
important. To maximise the quality of your catch and prolong the shelf life, you need to chill your fish down as quickly as possible. Chilling the fish’s core temperature down helps slow the action of enzymes and bacteria as well as the chemical and physical processes
quality. Fresh fish is an extremely perishable food and will deteriorate very rapidly at normal air or room temperature
Ice is the most common and easiest
is fish that have been iced should last three to four days longer than fish not iced.
Once a fish is dead there are chemical changes that take place within the fish, which cause the fish
muscle contraction. The rigor mortis process is complete once all the muscle fibers are contracted. After this process is complete, the fish will relax, and the muscles will soften again.
contracting, the fillet will continue to contract and will lose its shape and shrink in physical size, sometimes curling up at the edges. I leave my fish as long as possible before I fillet it, and not only is the fish easier to fillet, but the result is much better too after letting the fish go through the rigor mortis process. If you fish in the morning, try filleting the fish later that evening, or if you can
leave the fish on ice overnight, even better and you will certainly
the quality and how easy it is to fillet. Another benefit of looking after your fish is when you get home or fillet the fish they will be in perfect condition and look amazing, like they have just come out of the water My thoughts are we should give our fish that we are lucky enough to catch the respect it deserves and be proud of what you caught.
This could be preaching to the converted for many of you but hopefully there are some people reading this that find it helpful and will try taking better care of their fish in the future At the end of the day when you put the fresh fish on the table, either for family or friends, you know you did everything right to make sure that fish tastes as good as it possibly can.
you are short of space, insulated bags are a great option, as you can put the fish inside, cover them in ice and you don’t have the physical bulk of a fish bin in your boat.
It is considered for every hour delay in icing your fish once it is caught, it will significantly reduce the shelf life of your fish. Maximise the shelf life and ice the fish down immediately. The fish will taste so much better. The consensus from fisheries scientists
The time for this process to complete does vary between species.
If you fillet your fish too early, while the muscles are still
It’s amazing the number of Kiwi hunters who dream of hunting Africa. “It’s on my bucket list!” Is what I typically hear.
It’s also amazing the number of Kiwi hunters who never get past the dreaming stage, which is a genuine tragedy because it’s a lost opportunity.
An authentic African safari surpasses even the most wildly optimistic hunter’s expectations and leaves you with lifelong memories.
Most safari hunters dream of taking the iconic kudu—the grey ghost and called that for a reason: nature has blessed it with the ability to vanish in plain sight. It is truly an impressive creature; elegant, stately almost, graceful and yet indomitable of spirit. It’s towering spiral horns and ‘finger-
painting’ face markings make it one of Africa’s most mesmerising antelopes.
But of course, there are many more plains game animals to target—something like 40 plains game alone— and that is what makes a hunting safari such an experience—that and the wild scenery, beautiful native locals, the culture, the smell and the crackle of the campfire at night, and that first ‘sundowner’ after a long dusty day
on the trail.
Over the past decade, I have organised many safaris to the Dark Continent and no hunter has returned disappointed. In fact, many have returned to Africa multiple times. There’s an old African saying: “Everything in Africa bites—but the safari bug bites worst of all!
I have organised a special group safari to East Cape Karoo for 2025; a wildly exciting destination and very
The advantage of joining a group is many fold: the organising is done for you; many of the fixed costs are shared and safaris are always best enjoyed in the company of others.
The camp atmosphere is amazing. We use authentic safari tent camps or small bespoke lodges that appeal to Kiwi hunters. Our operators are professionals who have been in the
safari business for generations and the wonderful. Warm, friendly and generous. Most importantly, the hunting is sublime Stop dreaming… let’s do it! Enjoy the fun of safari minus the stress. Call now for more information: 021 472 517 or email: darylcrimp@gmail. com
Image Boats are one of the most rated boat builders in the country. Sitting alongside clients to provide bespoke vessels. With years of design nous it means every Image Boat is a dream come true Long live adventure! www.imageboats.co.nz
TAKACAT’s are great fun. The smaller inflatables are out of the bag and into the water in a matter of minutes. Excellent longlife materials,super stable,easy care,great range including IRBs. www takacat co.nz
The 661 Crossover from McLay is a no nonsense performer with enough seating for seven adults and all the gear you need for fishing,hunting and playing. Super stable at rest,heaps of buoyancy and soft ride. Probably the best value in its class. www.mclayboats.co.nz
Farnley’s showcased the Cruiser Craft 695HT out of Australia.
Touted as providing anglers of all levels spacious deck space,large cabin,live bait tank all on a redesigned hull for a great ride
Nth Is www farnleysyamaha co.nz
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Navico have all the gear to automate your boat to whatever level you’re after. Its integrated smart gear is now inside many of the world’s best boats. www.navico.com
Huntsman’s Centurion is stunningly finished!
With sharp, clean lines and stylishly understated features this roomy boat handles like a Ferrari and will have you to your favourite spots in no time www.huntsmanboats co.nz
Osprey’s are designed and built in Nelson and made to get you out to D’urville Island for some serious fishing and hunting or family days in Tasman and Golden Bays. There’s an Osprey for everyone www.osprey.co.nz
These guys have been around awhile and have a love of fishing so no wonder they’ve added amphibians to their range of smaller boats designed for the gang but also easy launch/landing for one person. www fcboats co.nz
Marinade
500g venison
100ml quality oil
2 x chopped chilli
2 tsp The Original Smoke and Spice CoSPG
1 tsp baking powder(the secret ingredient)
3 tsp crushed garlic
Spicy Cucumber Salsa
1 chopped cucumber
2 spring onions
1 bunch of coriander
2tbsp of your favourite chutney
Lemon or lime juice
Method
Marinade venison 4 hrs in fridge
Cook venison on high heat in pan till browned all sides and pink, rest and slice thinly
Load up your pita pockets with salsa and venison
Serve with lemon or lime wedge
Enjoy, Marcus Peters Int’l Kiwi Chef quite good with rod and gun
www.smokeandspice.co.nz
A useful starting point for a conversation about the nature and extent of Maori rights to sea fisheries is the Fisheries Amendment Act 1986, which amended the Fisheries Act 1983 to bring into operation the Quota Management (QMS) system.
The 1986 Act is generally regarded as a reaction against the former regime of open slather and government incentives, which had led to a massive expansion of the inshore fishing industry At the same time, inshore fisheries dramatically declined due to overfishing. The 1986 amendment moved away from the older regulated system, which contained no conservation incentives toward the creation of valuable and transferable property rights in fisheries resources.
The QMS legislation is based around the concept of a quota, a fraction of a particular ‘total allowable catch’ for a particular fish stock defined by a reference to species and to quota management areas, these latter being divisions of the New Zealand territorial sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone Quota is allocated in perpetuity, and the holders acquire a harvesting right, measured as a specific tonnage for a specific quota management area for a fixed period (one year). Quota can be thought of as a slice of variable pie – the shape and relative size of one’s slice stays the same, depending on the quota one has accumulated, but the pie itself expands or contracts year to year depending on the size of the total
annual commercial catch, as fixed by the Ministry each April or October. Quota gives rise to an ‘annual catch entitlement’ (ACE) in accordance with specific formulae set out in the Fisheries Act 1996.
The QMS was introduced on 1 October 1986. In response, Māori obtained an injunction against the Government to prevent further fish stocks being introduced into the QMS until the issue of ownership had been resolved. As a result of the action taken by Māori, the courts confirmed Māori customary fishing rights were controlled by ‘hapu and tribes’ and those customary rights contained both commercial and noncommercial elements
The Fisheries Deed of Settlement, implemented through the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992, was the final settlement of all Māori claims to customary fishing rights. Under the settlement, the Crown additionally awarded:
• Māori funds to buy a 50% ownership stake in Sealord Products Ltd.
• an undertaking to provide Māori with 20% of the quota for all new species brought within the QMS after that time
• Māori positions on statutory fisheries management bodies.
• restructure of the then
In return, Māori agreed:
• that the settlement closed all Māori commercial fishing rights and interests.
• to accept regulations for customary noncommercial fishing.
To resolve claims and litigation involving fisheries, an interim settlement of fishing claims acknowledging the full spectrum of Māori interests in fisheries was entered into between Māori and the Crown in 1989 and provided 10% of all fisheries then in the QMS – along with some funding for administration.
Māori Fisheries Commission into the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission (TOWFC) to enhance its accountability to Māori.
• regulations to allow selfmanagement of Māori fishing for subsistence and cultural purposes.
• to stop litigation (including any Tribunal claims) relating to Māori commercial fisheries.
• to support legislation to settlement and to endorse the QMS.
When Māori entered the Treaty Fisheries Settlements, they
accepted the QMS, which included defined QMAs, as the basis of a Treaty Settlement. It was a core condition on the Crown side agreed to by Māori. If the Crown wants to change the QMS, it cannot do it unilaterally without being in breach of the Treaty Settlement. Any change requires Māori agreement.
The point made by Māori is if the Crown can unilaterally alter the system it entered as a condition of the Fisheries Settlements of 1989 and 1992 it has the capacity to alter any Treaty Settlements on its own political whim. What price Treaty, what price the honour of the Crown?
So, to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. This is the latest in a long line of case law regarding Māori customary rights, notably beginning with Wi Parata v Bishop of Wellington in 1877, following, which Māori customary title in the whenua (land) and takutai moana (the marine and coastal area) was denied by the New Zealand legal system for over a century. The landmark case of AttorneyGeneral v Ngāti Apa turned that law on its head and held that
customary title was recognised as common law until lawfully extinguished. That led to the enactment of the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, which was repealed and replaced with the MACA Act in 2011.
The MACA Act restores customary title interests extinguished under the 2004 Act, introduces statutory tests and awards whereby customary interests may be identified, and provided for. This legislation replaced Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed with a ‘no ownership’ regime and restored the right of Iwi to seek customary rights and title in court. In summary, the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 aims to strike a balance between customary rights, public access, and environmental protection in New Zealand’s coastal and marine regions. The Act requires for customary marine title to be recognized, the applicant group must have exclusively used and occupied the area from 1840 to the present day without ‘substantial interruption ’ The Court
clarified that raupatu (land confiscation) did not constitute a substantial interruption of the applicants’ relationship with the coastal marine area. Additionally, a resource consent granted before the Act’s commencement would not extinguish customary rights unless there was a ‘crystal clear’ intention to do so
Whether a third-party structure or practice could amount to substantial interruption depends on its level of interference with fishing and navigation activities in the coastal marine area.
In 2021 then Minister for Treaty Negotiations, Andrew Little, revealed a new strategy for the
Crown negotiations occurring under the Act alongside the High Court process. This strategy responded to conclusions made by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2020 that the MACA
not funded all costs incurred by whānau, hapu and iwi going through the process.
The new strategy provided more resources for claimants and intended to
Only a fraction of the over 500 applications for CMT (Customary Marine Title) and related orders have been considered. In addition to the courtbased consideration
Act was in breach of the Treaty because of the significant delays for processing claims and because it had
shorten the timeline for resolving all claims under the Act from 100 years to between 2030 years.
of applications for CMT under the Act, applications can be pursued by direct negotiation with the
Crown. Applications for 3 areas are underway using the negotiation pathway (d’Urville Island, Mahia, and recently Wellington/ Kapiti) with around 380 further applications filed. There are approximately 200 pending applications to the High Court for CMT orders.
The current state of the law on critical aspects for the test of CMT orders is uncertain. In those circumstances, it is prejudicial both to applicant groups and interested parties to prepare evidence and make choices concerning the extent and topics of cross-examination and submissions at hearings.
As has become clear recently, there is a significant financial burden placed upon applicant groups and interested parties for continuing to engage in proceedings that may need to be reheard following the Supreme Court’s judgment. Given the Attorney General’s and the applicant groups’ fees are ultimately paid for by taxpayers, it is in the public interest new proceedings be paused until they can proceed with certainty as to the legal test. Expectations amongst applicants still to be heard are high and the Government is currently faced with a the future of the CMT process.
like a rocket forward of the boat . We got the boat spun around and went to battle This was a big fish but WHAT WAS IT !!! Shark?
Swordfish ?
Well what a night ! we left Wellington Harbour at 9pm Sunday and steamed round to Cape Palliser with intentions of doing some night drifts for swordfish and then going for a troll for bluefin the following morning. We set out our first baits and we had a fish smash the baits but managed to get away with our bait and not hook !! A couple of hours later we had a strange hit and we decided to check the bait finding a very docile 50-80kg blue shark. Baits went out for the 3rd time and within minutes something crunched the deeper bait
Tuna? We really had no idea , it was acting like a tuna at the start but as the fight went longer and longer we thought maybe a sword. After 45min we got our first look using a spot light over the sidea BIG TUNA !! After a battle we managed to
haul it into the
boat ,2 years in a row we have landed big tuna from home . It means so much specially after all the trips away we have done over the years. This is our biggest ever bluefin on Wild Bill and to get it close to home is extra special.
"We have spent a lot of this fishery . We were told for many years that the fish were way wasting our time so to
see what it has become has meant a lot to me"
This from Chris , Wild Blue Tackle, wrapping up the 2024 Tuna Comp
"Overall we have had 9 fish that have been caught between Wellington and Castlepoint which is massive, there also
been reports of a few hooked and dropped
"Before this year we only had 1 or 2 for a season with only a couple of boats really trying. This year we had up to 20 boats on a good day and with the wild east cost weather the days to get out are minimal but we have had at least 1 fish caught each good day which is
3 Plimmerton Drive, Plimmerton, Porirua 5026
https://www.kpmarine. co.nz/ boats@kpmarine.co.nz 04 233 6164
KP Marine has been in the marine industry since 1969, focusing on helpful and professional service for all things boating, fishing, diving, engines, clothing and more.
Fish Mainland Inc’s article in the May issue of The Fishing Paper and Hunting News states our Mainland Catch app has been released on Google Play for Android devices and the Apple App Store for iOS devices.
This means marine recreational fishers throughout the South Island can now selfrecord data on their location.
Some fishers may think okay but what benefit is there in downloading the app and recording data?
The fundamental benefit relates to the power of having data.
As the late Edward Deming said, “without data, you’re just another opinion ” Without data, recreational fishers
can be disregarded in fisheries management processes, especially when they lack representation on issues related to shared fisheries.
It is Fish Mainland’s role to represent recreational fishers’ interests as each fishing sector faces a myriad of issues that can adversely impact fishing opportunities.
A classic example is the previous Government’s lastminute decisions on marine protected areas (MPAs) along the Otago and Catlins Coastlines.
In this case, the commercial and recreational fishing sectors remain concerned about the Department of Conservation’s (DoC) control over the MPA planning process.
The planning process
was flawed from the start, as it omitted representation of recreational fishers’ interests. This omission is the consequence of DoC having selected representatives who would be agreeable to MPA goals.
already been highlighted by the
and Auditor-General https://www.oag. parliament.nz/2019/ marine-environment At the same time, DoC continued to
It is worth noting our shared concern about DoC’s control, and in this planning process had
Randall Bess
their agreed access to the MPAs, allowing them to take marine life and their management partnership thus providing them with considerable financial benefits.
Nonetheless, our larger concern is DoC’s Ministerial advice grossly understated the impact establishing the MPAs would have on fishing opportunities.
with DoC.
We had a shoot at the Motueka Pistol Club on the 26th May
This was an interclub event with people from Blenheim and
Cable Bay clubs in attendance
A big thanks go to Steve and Corbin for spending their Saturday setting up. Building seven a lot of work for the organisers. A nice mix of running and gunning with a few longer shoots to test accuracy at longer distances. This was
favour Ngai Tahu through behind-thescenes deals to gain their support. Their support came through
Have you downloaded the Mainland Catch App?
an IPSC pistol event and we had a number
age groups. As normal no inch was given but plenty of support and advice was freely didn’t go as planned. These competitions are good for giving new shooters a chance to see other people outside their club members compete and
it gives them a taste of what an away match is like. This wasn’t run to the same requirements as a South Islands or Nationals we didn’t need to keep to the three small, two medium and one large in round counts (small maximum of 12, medium 13-24 and large 25-32). So this means we can have more larger ones,
In other words, DoC’s calculated impact was biased, favouring their own MPA goals that covered the most productive fishing grounds and based on unsubstantiated, dismissive assertions such as: ‘some displacement of commercial and recreational fishing activity is unavoidable when marine reserves are implemented - the
is uncertain, however, as there is limited information about recreational fishing
In our view, DoC’s focus on MPA goals lacked regard for natural justice and due process obligations. Again, DoC demonstrated it cannot advise Ministers in a fair and impartial manner
Besides, Ministerial decisions on the MPAs were made without knowledge of discrepancies in some MPA boundaries; such discrepancies are not new in our dealings
which adds up to a bigger round count and more shooting. There were a number of moving targets, some that swing into view as well as a couple of turning ones that faced the competitor for a very short time then moved away
Movement around the course is a big part of it as earning a good score comes down to
In summary, we recommend current Ministers cease progressing the establishment of these MPAs for a one-year period so their impact can be reassessed against further data provided by the recreational and commercial fishers most impacted by those decisions. This reassessment provides an ideal opportunity for recreational fishers to use the Mainland Catch app to do their part in improving local management and substantiating the importance of certain fisheries and fishing grounds in and around the proposed MPAs.
Of course, use of the Mainland Catch app is also intended to improve management of fisheries in other South Island regions, especially those prone such as the PAU3A fishery in the Kaikoura region.
Instructions for downloading the Mainland Catch app, registering its use and videos on how easy the app is to use are on this link https:// www.fishmainland.nz/ mainland-catch-app Should you encounter any problems when registering or downloading the app, please contact info@ fishmainland.nz
how fast you can move and the lower the time the better. Running too fast means shots and hits on target can
A big part of shooting this kind of competition is a brain game, which never is my strong point with my brain running on empty and on autopilot this round. Thanks again boys.
Soaring over the Pacific at 840km/h on one of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) newest planes, the P-8A Poseidon, is
normal day on the job for Mike Bewick from Fisheries New Zealand’s international compliance team.
Mike was on-board the P-8A Poseidon as part of New Zealand’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Pacific.
“On patrol, we look for fishing vessels in the area and use the Poseidon’s cutting edge surveillance equipment to monitor their activity and check for any signs that they’re doing there to support the aircrew by providing “fish eyes”, looking to spot anything out of the ordinary with the vessels expected appearance or behaviour, including what’s missing from view ”
Mike’s patrol with the RNZAF was part of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) coordinated Operation Rai Balang, that took place between 12 and 15 March 2024. It covered a patch of the Pacific Ocean north of Papua New Guinea, near Micronesia, Palau, and Indonesia. Operation Rai Balang involving aerial and surface surveillance assets from New Zealand, Australia, France, and the United States who work to support the Pacific Island countries by combating IUU fishing.
“Most countries in the Pacific don’t have the resources to patrol in these remote areas, and they’re always grateful that New Zealand can get out there to look for fishers who shouldn’t be there or are fishing illegally
“The fish caught in the region are mostly migratory species such as tuna and billfish, meaning they move around the regional fisheries throughout the Pacific, including in New Zealand’s waters ” IUU fishing is an ongoing problem for New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours. It
undermines the sustainability of fisheries, hurts local fishers, and has impact on the economic stability of Pacific nations. For Pacific tuna alone, the value taken by IUU fishing was estimated at US$333.49 million between 2017 and 2019
This criminal behaviour can also be associated with transnational organised crime such as smuggling, piracy, labour exploitation, and
“Once we spot a vessel of interest, we contact Pacific Island patrol vessels with information about what we’ve seen and guide them to the location of the suspicious vessel to inspect their fishing operation. Alternately we can provide our concerns to agencies that can arrange an inspection of the vessel at its next port call.
“If we find evidence of IUU fishing by a vessel operating on the high seas and outside of any nation’s territorial waters, we provide information to the country the vessel is flagged to and request that they investigate further. This could lead to penalties such as fines, confiscation of catch, or the vessel being held in port.
“At international fisheries organisation meetings, New Zealand’s representatives raise incidences of IUU fishing with the flagged nations of the vessels to hold them accountable and to help ensure appropriate action is taken ”
The RNZAF began using the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft in mid-2023 as a longrange maritime patrol aircraft. It has a crew of nine and can remain in the air for up to twelve hours.
“RNZAF support is
crucial for the success of these operations — the technology onboard is impressive and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the crew is second-tonone
Mike is passionate about the fishing industry, and the work to combat IUU is important to him.
“Stopping IUU is important for sustainable fisheries management and for the nations that rely on healthy fish stocks. Fishing rules are there to support the sustainability of fisheries which is why it’s important to hold those who fish illegally to account.
“I find it heartening that New Zealand can pull together resources from various agencies to make a big splash on Pacific fisheries compliance and play an important role in the fight to stop IUU fishing ”
Winter nights by the fire, a glass of red and cogitation on a life-long obsession with fishing. A sip of shiraz opens the mind to thoughts on the importance of mentors. They’ve popped up at appropriate times and after cranking my way through threadlining and reading any fishing book I could get my hands on, there came a mysterious need for a fly rod.
Earnest fumbling with an old, green, screw together two piece and a bakelite alpha reel, which I still have, I almost caught my first trout. The rusty old Brown Fly sank to the depths of The Groynes on the South Branch of the Waimakariri, where a small fish nipped at it. Thrilling!
A neighbour described the Styx River as the place to go and there I met a
Ivan Wilson
young fellow who knew a thing or two He became mentor number one - back with him shortly, but first a couple of key moments. Having learnt something about wet flies, a Mrs Simpson Yellow was tied on and allowed to drift down the Styx then slowly retrieved. Suddenly a fish showed interest, but with no more line to mend, instinctively I let the fly move
“Not so,” said reality My Mentor number one began to enthuse about nymphs, a new term to this young tyro, as reading material in those times came from ‘Mother England’ and emphasised the “dry fly old boy ”
He was also loud in his praise of the Ashley, “plenty of big fish so come with me next Saturday ”
Good fish were clearly visible in the pools up above the gorge
imaginary rod, so the upshot was a fishing friendship between a very young and a much older man.
about in the current, until the fish drifted back out and struck right at my feet. A tense battle produced my first fish on a fly, so next was one on a dry A late afternoon rise in a smooth section of the Styx invited my Coch Y Bondhu. I missed the strike; however, a second cast rose the fish again and it was played out, becoming my first on a dry. Now I thought I’m a proper fly fisherman.
“You have a shot at that one,” he said, but the dry was ignored several times.
Then it was his turn and yep, first cast his nymph was taken and he landed the nice brown.
A slow learner, I persisted further with the dry, but when mentor number two appeared it was another learning curve. I worked with a chap who would walk around casting an
When we visited the Selwyn River for a night fish, my dry caught nothing, while he went further up with a Streamer Fly, fishing it deep through the pool and around 1.00am, when I checked, he was releasing his fifth fish. Lesson learnt.
Away to Wellington for training, a posting to Southland to meet mentor number three
A seasoned fly man who enthused about tiny Black Gnats in the famed Mataura, where the rise can happen at any old time. So many rings appear
decide which to target. Eventually we settled on the West Coast, where I encountered a slew of mentors, particularly for lakes. Later training and experience in Adult to mentor others, so a last thought. Share what you know about fishing, not forgetting females either, it’s important for the sport and also good for you.
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Join us aboard our purpose built 6.2m Osprey Boat, “First Light”. Your fully quali ed skipper, Malcolm Halstead, has 35 years’ experience shing in the waters of the South Island of New Zealand. It is Malcolm’s goal to make sure you have a memorable shing experience while visiting Kaikoura. Also available
Freediving trips - Take a kid shing Ladies trips - Game shing for Sharks CALL AND BOOK A TRIP TODAY
Mobile: +64 21 843 908 Email: info@topcatchcharters.co.nz
