February 2025 - 233 The Fishing Paper and Hunting News
It’s pre-dawn dark and I’m on my way to visit Jack. My intention is to be snuggled up against his shoulder before the sun clambers over the distant horizon. From that point on who knows what the morning will bring, I suspect it will be something which tickles my fancy.
But, before I get there, there’s a distraction. Beside the track, and shining as bright as double diamonds, is a pair of deer eyes reflecting in my truck’s headlights. I waver momentarily, so does the deer, but then we both regain our wits and continue our separate ways.
Minutes later, before I regain my composure and original sense of purpose, I glimpse more dual diamonds. My truck slows but my heart-rate accelerates. Then, when the dazzled deer steps onto the track and stands broadside, my trigger finger begins to twitch involuntarily.
“Oi, woman, focus. You do not want a deer, you want to be atop of Jack!”
My sense of social responsibility screams in response.
“YOU may not want a deer, but others do. Think how many people it will feed!”
I brake, open my truck door, load my rifle – the deer trots a few steps, turns about and then stands broadside again. Dammit.
I curse my lack of discipline as I disembowel said deer and wrestle it onto my truck. I’m all too aware I just lost precious minutes. Daylight is marching ever onward, by the time I get to Jack it will no longer be dark. I will be exposed, caught out by the multitude of wary beings of the backcountry.
At Jack’s northern toe I depart my truck. Tikka is over my shoulder, there’s a camera and box of ammo in my bino-harness, a pair of binoculars in one hand and a thermal in the other.
“Comin’ at ya Jack and I’m ready to play!”
Jack , I Love You
Kim Swan
Jack stands unmoved by my belated appearance. He is after all a mountain. His features are steep, gaunt and drab. He can be bitterly cold and cruel, sending me home broken and hurting. He can also be warm and generous, sending me home with treats and cherished memories.
I am smitten by Jack’s inhabitants. The hundreds of species of fauna and flora, especially those which struggle for survival in the harshest of environments. The quick little skinks and shy geckos, the tiny alpine plants and lichens and the gnarled broadleaf trees, which stand defiant against gales , snowfall , and rockslides.
Jack and his counterpart Jack’s Brother are enduring and tough, but they are besieged by imports. The wilding conifers and exotic weeds. The herbivores, which graze and trample. The predators, which annihilate the wee native creatures. The hares and hedgehogs and harrier hawks and the pigs. The pigs are worst of all.
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My thermal is super-e cient at di erentiating between body heat and hot rocks. My binoculars refine the visual search as the daylight brightens. There are two small mobs of goats, one on Jack’s shoulder, the other on his brow. And there’s a black boar sneaking out over the skyline – going, going, gone.
Time to stash the thermal then, time to plan – and, whether its Plan A, B or C they all start with up. Straight up ‘cos Jack is a straight up kinda mountain.
Early on I spy two nanny goats on Jack’s flank. Oh, how they appeal - not having to scale the mighty heights for starters, and they look like perfect eaters too. But, having learnt from my earlier food-focussed distraction, I know I must look past these wee morsels and target bigger numbers and bigger goats.
Higher and higher, straight up.
Panting - the transfer between oxygen in and carbon dioxide out is rapid and noisome. Sweat - copious leakage from every pore. Pain - the scrabbling up rock outcrops bloods my fingernails and the missteps and base-over-apex tumbles add to my collection of bruises and gouges. I push-on regardless - Jack needs me to be here - especially when Tikka rides my shoulder.
The two small mobs of goat merge. They feed like a mini swarm of locusts, ravenously devouring vegetation. Some stand on hind legs to reach the tops of snowstunted shrubs, some leap nimbly up the gnarled broadleaf trunks, others rock-hop. No endangered plant is safe, no tidbit goes unnoticed.
A lone billy is constantly on watch. He trots from sentry post to sentry
post, overseeing his harem. My route is altered by his route, I move when he moves. He is my nemesis. When I’m close as I dare, I lay down in the wispy alpine grasses and prop Tikka on rock. Game onladies first.
Later, as I slowly descend Jack’s vertical features, a wandering billy calls from afar. I call back, a sickly sounding goat imitation if I do say so myself. Back and forth we communicate, him looking for love and susceptible to my coy comeons.
Eventually we intercept one another. I am the one laying in the pig rooting with Tikka loaded and ready. He is the one high above, a silhouette on the skyline. One more fake bleat and then he is literally heartbroken as my bullet tears through his chest cavity.
The two nanny goats, bless them, are still feeding down low. By alternating modes between Cat Woman and Spider Man I negotiate a series of blu s and outcrops till I am within close range. As blowflies buzz and crawl and pester, I wait patiently with Tikka on-call, till the time is right.
Fatigued now, I stumble down a shingle scree and onto the rock-strewn track with the two tasty morsels in-tow. My favourite mountain has provided once more. I endeavour to be both friend and guardian in return for Jack’s favours. Today there are 11 less pests consuming endemic alpine plants. Next week I’ll be back – deer stalking, or with the pig dogs or culling wilding conifers – I cannot stay away, despite this being a one-way love a air.
Small hooks catch everything
I have always believed that big hooks catch big fish, but small hooks catch everything. Coming from a trout fishing background, I know just how small of a morsel can be attractive to a large fish, whether a huge rainbow trout eating a microscopic snail or an oversized kahawai taking the tiniest slither of squid.
On this day, I had headed out to sea on a typical mission, but by all measures , it just hadn’t been going to plan. I paddled around for hours, trying every trick in the book to get a couple of fish to bite.
I was getting a little desperate to get something to happen, so a drift was set up along a reef. I got the angle just right and marked solid boulders overhanging onto some flat sand below.
I drifted until I got bites, and as soon as one rod was hooked up, the anchor went straight down. A couple of the target species, blue cod and tarakihi, were finally secured.
On a reef edge like this, a john dory could be a good prospect, so I whipped out a specially tied Sabiki to try for a small live bait; I use only the strongest trout hooks on this rig
because they can be very attractive to many species, not just baitfish.
Soon, the wee hooks were getting all of the attention and were out fishing all of my other rigs, even with no bait! Intuitng what the fish wanted, I removed the other lines as I felt something silly was about to happen.
After several more tarakihi, the rig got a small tap—nothing out of the ordinary—, but when I lifted my rod tip, it loaded up harder than I could have expected. Line began to peel o the reel, sending me into a panic to reduce the drag. While these hooks are hard to straighten,
they can and will pull out of fish due to their low surface area.
It was a back-and-forth battle, thankfully on a light rod that took a lot of the shock absorption. I would raise the fish o the bottom and then loose the line, and this went on for some time on the light drag. It was huge head shakes and
Blair Whiting
scorching o plenty of line runs reeling. My brain listed all the possible species before peering into the deep blue water. Right before my eyes rose the largest blue cod I had ever seen, and it was barely hanging o my microscopic hook. It was very stressful leading the behemoth towards the net, as the hook threatened to pop o at any point. As if it was meant to be, the cod finally slid into my net, completing one of my most memorable captures in recent memory.
The cod pulled the scales down to 2.2kg and measured 51cm, a beast for my local area. Maybe I’ll have to put these hooks down more often?
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Starting the Year with a Review
Fishing Today in New Zealand
Rock lobster industry commentator Daryl Sykes sets the scene for 2025 and beyond
New Zealand fisheries are vital for economic reasons and play a significant role in cultural identity and community well-being. Fishing serves as a primary source of food, employment, and recreational opportunities for many New Zealanders, particularly within coastal communities.
The Quota Management System (QMS), introduced in 1986, is the backbone of New Zealand’s fisheries management policy. This system aims to regulate fish stocks by assigning total allowable catches (TAC) to various species, promoting sustainable fishing practices while ensuring economic, social and cultural viability for fishers.
Sustainable fisheries management is essential, as it directly impacts food security, biodiversity, and the overall health of marine ecosystems. Recognising the social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of fisheries management is critical for developing policies that foster resilience and sustainability in the face of global challenges such as climate change and overfishing.
Overview of Current Trends
Contemporary fisheries management policies in New Zealand are evolving to address the complex challenges posed by overfishing, climate change, and ecological degradation. The emphasis is shifting towards sustainability, community involvement, and the integration of modern technological solutions in fisheries management practices.
The Fisheries Act 1996 serves as the foundational legal framework, focusing on the sustainable utilisation of fishery resources while ensuring the ecological integrity of marine environments.
The fishing “seascape” in New Zealand is diverse, with various stakeholders advocating for their interests. Commercial fishers depend on sustainable fisheries for their livelihood and often focus on economic viability and profitability. Conversely, recreational fishers prioritise leisure and access to fishing grounds, while customary fishers, particularly Māori hapu, emphasise cultural rights and traditional practices associated with fishing.
Beyond these primary groups, a myriad of other stakeholders also contribute to the dialogue surrounding fisheries management. Environmental groups advocate for the health of marine ecosystems, emphasising the need for sustainable practices that protect
biodiversity. Researchers and government representatives also play vital roles in gathering data and formulating policies based on scientific evidence. Tourism operators rely on healthy marine environments to attract visitors, and community groups concerned with the local impacts of fishing practices further enrich the stakeholder landscape.
authority to enforce regulations independently. All enforcement powers remain with government agencies, which may not possess the same depth of understanding regarding local ecosystems and community needs.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has shown reluctance to support localised approaches that may deviate from centralised
The management of fisheries in New Zealand has historically been centralised, leading to a power imbalance between local communities and the governing bodies. This centralisation complicates the realisation of local authority in fisheries management, as legislative recognition of community management e orts is required for e ective comanagement practices to be implemented.
E ective co-management necessitates formal acknowledgment of partnerships between government and local stakeholders. Despite e orts to devolve managerial responsibility, the extent of legal support often falls short, leaving community management initiatives inadequately legitimised.
Role of Community Committees
Community involvement in fisheries management has gained traction through the establishment of local committees tasked with managing specific marine areas. These committees foster a sense of guardianship among community members, leading to better acceptance of regulations and practices tailored to local conditions. However, despite their potential for e ective management, these committees often lack the legal
regulation, often prioritising easier enforcement mechanisms over community-driven initiatives.
Another critical issue in fisheries management is the challenge of equitable power sharing among stakeholders. E ective comanagement is reliant on the formal acknowledgment of partnerships between local communities and governing bodies. However, where management remains centralised, local authorities often struggle to gain the recognition necessary to exercise management responsibilities.
Community proposals must navigate slow administrative processes before becoming law. This delay can stifle innovation and limit the capacity for rapid responses to pressing ecological issues. Research indicates that comanagement strategies tend to be more e ective when government structures are smaller and more localised.
The absence of adequate administrative support complicates the navigation of these processes, leading to frustration among local stakeholders who feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
E ective stakeholder engagement contributes to enhanced transparency and accountability
in decisionmaking processes. By involving stakeholders, agencies can leverage local knowledge and perspectives, which leads to more e ective and equitable management outcomes. Collaborative approaches facilitate conflict resolution, allowing for win-win solutions that balance commercial, recreational, and environmental priorities. Moreover, stakeholder participation fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, increases compliance with regulations, and encourages sustainable practices in fisheries management.
Collaborative Approaches
New Zealand has increasingly embraced multi-stakeholder approaches in fisheries management, recognising the value of collaboration in addressing complex marine issues. These collaborative e orts involve government agencies, such as the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Conservation (DOC), working alongside stakeholders to develop comprehensive policies that account for conservation, sustainability, and economic factors
The collaboration enhances the quality of management decisions as stakeholders share their knowledge, experience, and best practices. One notable example of successful stakeholder collaboration in New Zealand is the establishment of communityled initiatives to participate in conservation e orts.
Case studies from various regions in New Zealand demonstrate the positive impact of community engagement, with initiatives leading to reduced overfishing and enhanced biodiversity.
Despite the numerous benefits of stakeholder engagement, challenges remain. Limited resources, lack of access to information, and regulatory barriers can hinder e ective participation from local communities and other stakeholders. Moreover, the impacts of climate change and pollution pose additional challenges for e ective fisheries management. Inequitable power dynamics also pose a significant challenge. Centralised management structures can lead to a lack of recognition for local and Indigenous knowledge, resulting in unequal partnerships between stakeholders. E ective co-management requires formal acknowledgment of partnerships and a legally robust framework to share power and responsibility.
Coastal communities care – credit PSM2024
Starting the Year with a Review cont
Community Empowerment and Engagement
Empowering local communities is central to the future of fisheries management in New Zealand. Engaging communities in decisionmaking processes fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility towards marine resources. This involvement is vital in ensuring compliance with management measures and fostering stewardship of local ecosystems. The notion of community-supported fisheries has gained traction, wherein local fishers directly sell their catch to consumers, enhancing local economic resilience and reinforcing sustainable practices.
Moreover, educational initiatives that promote awareness of sustainable fishing practices can further enhance community engagement. By building a culture of sustainability within communities, fisheries management can become a shared responsibility, leading to more successful and lasting outcomes.
To enhance stakeholder engagement in fisheries management, it is essential to prioritise education and capacitybuilding initiatives that empower local communities and fishers.
Providing training programs, workshops, and sharing best practices can equip stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and skills to participate e ectively in management processes.
Additionally, fostering partnerships between government agencies, NGOs, and local communities can facilitate resource sharing and collaborative problem-solving, leading to innovative solutions tailored to the unique challenges
faced by di erent regions.
The fisheries sectors in New Zealand play a vital role in the national economy and the social fabric of local communities.
Economic contributions from this sector are multifaceted, involving direct employment opportunities, community engagement, and the sustainable management of marine resources.
While the economic contributions
of the fisheries sectors are significant, it is crucial to ensure that economic pressures do not undermine environmental sustainability. Healthy fish stocks rely on robust ecosystems and habitats, which are threatened by localised depletion and habitat degradation.
The challenge lies in balancing economic benefits with environmental concerns to secure long-term sustainability. E ective fisheries management policies must integrate ecological considerations to prevent adverse impacts on marine biodiversity and the overall health of marine environments.
Anticipated impacts from climate change pose further challenges for the fisheries sectors, influencing species abundance and fishing methods
As these scenarios evolve, stakeholders must adapt and adopt sustainable practices that reflect the changing conditions in marine environments. Policymakers and fisheries managers are increasingly required to stresstest current policies against future risks, ensuring that economic activities align with environmental stewardship.
The rewrite of the Arms Act
partners, imagine the e ect if half sent a submission in.
There are seven parts to look at.
1. Regulating firearm access, possession and use.
2. Products controlled.
3. Responsible possession and use.
The Arms Act Rewrite of 2025 is out and there is work to do, and when I say work, I mean work, which includes every licence holder who is serious about firearm ownership.
I’m not just thinking about myself and my equipment, but everyone both now and in the future, because the anti-crowd aren’t about to miss the chance to twist things their way. The only thing that will counter them is a better argument using evidence and facts, backed by bigger numbers than they have or can come up with.
We have some very good people on our side, Pistol NZ, COLFO, NZDA to name just three organisations but they need both help and backing. The more support in numbers and cash means they can get legal help.
Ministers like voters and with 230,000 licence holders plus their
4. Supplying, importing and buying.
5. Compliance, o ences and penalties.
6. Cost recovery.
7. Agencies that control the possession and use of firearms.
You do not have to write about all parts, as you get to pick what’s important to you. Note there are a few things outside the scope of which we can submit on, as they are already being discussed, and this is enough for now.
Let’s look at a couple.
What’s the Purpose of the ACT?
To me it is about the promoting and access to firearms and their usage, be it for sport, hunting or collecting by civilians in New Zealand.
Yes, there needs to be some controls, but honest people do not
deserve to be treated like criminals just because they have a firearm licence. Have licence holders made foolish mistakes? Yes, but we have a Crimes act to deal with the stupid.
Next, how about what they cover, the products they want to govern and how they define a firearm?
This is very messy and has led to so many extra hoops to try and work through, and all for what?
Or Endorsements, how many do you think we need? We have 33 now on top of your standard licence. this is what happens when bureaucrats get a free hand. The paperwork and wasted time needed to keep track and process this for both those applying for an endorsement and those tasked to administer them. Not your problem?
There are nine linked to dealers and when it costs a business they must recover that money, which means it costs all of us.
Are we safer? Not at all and they aren’t even trying to hide that most of the changes over the last few years has been more about restrictions.
How about Cost Recovery? This is where it could end up hitting our pockets, there are a few problems here. Put the costs up and people
may stop applying, but will they stop shooting and owning? That’s not a good outcome for anyone.
Yes, it’s complex but you don’t have to be a lawyer to write a submission. Keep it simple and short, look at what’s important to you and your family. This country has a strong history with firearms, and understanding how they fit into our lives is important and needs to be protected, and that means we all need to do our part.
EDITOR'S COMMENT
These two links take you firstly to the justice department site about firearms reform and then to the page which specifically covers making a submission - they are trying to make it as easy as possible for you to have your say. As a responsible gun owner you need to take an interest in this reform and if appropriate make a submission.
Commerce and recreation – credit PSM2024
SHOOTING
Brian Bishop
Rigged - Species of the month Comp The
One of the great things about being a member of the Dawnbreakers Fishing Club is their Species of the Month competition.
Each month features a di erent target species that can earn you an awesome prize from one of our very generous sponsors. Recently that fish was Rig, which is not a fish that we were familiar with. Jasper was keen to learn more, and a quick internet search showed that the preferred bait is crabs or prawns. Having a few crab pots we decided to catch our own bait, venturing to Rabbit Island at low tide to wade them into the sea. We filled an ice cream container with our desired bait in about half an hour, pilchards proving irresistible to the crabs!
Bait in hand, we then headed to Tahuna’s Back Beach to give landbased fishing a go. The crabs were tied onto hooks with bait elastic, and then lobbed out into the low tide channel. Once secured in a rod holder, it was a matter of sitting back in our old camp chairs, and waiting for a bite. A few windy mornings, including a early 3am start for Andy and Jasper, saw no success.
The combination of a low tide and dusk proved to be our secret to catching rig, with the three of us catching our first rig each. My bait had barely hit the water when I felt a bite, and then it was all on! For their size Rig put up a good fight, especially when you want to stay on dry land, so the challenge is to angle
them up into the beach. My 1m long rig came o just as it reached the shore, but luckily Jasper leapt into the shallows to wrangle it up onto the beach.
Rig don’t have big teeth, and unlikely spiny dogfish won’t stab you, so are generally easy to catch and release. Alternatively, if you want to keep them to eat, they benefit from being trunked to prevent ammonium releasing into the flesh. We were happy to let our rig go, the challenge of catching them satisfaction enough.
Although photos can prove challenging with rig preferring low light for feeding, with no boat to wash at the end, and beautiful sunset scenes, beach fishing is an enjoyable way to spend an evening with family, so give it a go!
Brannen family
Last Day of the Year
It was the last day of the year, so why not go to the lake?
But what was I thinking? It was Christmas & New Year when the usual hordes of people with their Merivale tractors (for those in the north, read Remuera) and shiny pleasure boats flooded the lake –the displacement factor is palpable. At the ramp, only 4 or 5 vehicles were parked up, so I thought I might get away with it and have a reasonably peaceful day, but it certainly didn’t turn out that way. I got the boat into the water without incident and had a short but pleasant chat with a guy launching just after me who asked what the fishing was like at the moment and also where the best spots were – I was tempted to say “the lake,” but merely said, “anywhere around the edges.” Headed into a favourite spot to find some fishos in kayaks, gave them a wave and moved on. But where to go? Further out, there’s a location that has yielded good fish in the past, so headed in that direction. It was partly cloudy, so spotting was a challenge, but I was not seeing trout, so I thought to move to the next spot, X, which was 2 or 3 kms further around the lake. When I got there and started fishing, the sun came from behind the flu y stu , and the jersey came o .
However, the wind was shifty, causing me to move again to a place where I knew there to be fish, but I spooked both of them. The wind drifted the Silver Frog along nicely until it played tricks again, so I returned to the other side of the bay where I’d started. Curses, the darn wind shifted yet again, so back upwind I went, the number of
boats whizzing around was growing, with a couple of jet skis joining the fun, so once I’d fished through the reach, I decided to move yet again. Also, with all the boats, it was getting choppy and more di cult to stand upright in the boat, even with the stabilizing pontoons built into the hull. The wind was becoming more active with the odd whitecap
appearing. Hence, a quiet backwater beckoned, but it seemed devoid of trout, so I went, pulling into another spot I’d had success in before. The stomach said it was time for an early lunch, so after a can of drink and some ham sandwiches with a smattering of hot English mustard (we don’t skimp on the comestibles), I felt ready to continue fishing. It was a good choice of the spot as I saw a couple of fish that didn’t like my nymph. However, persistence is one of the great flies in the box, and after a minute or three, a trouty shape was seen moving past the front of the boat, so a quick roll cast dropped the fly somewhere ahead of it and then took though subtle, soon turned quite active. Trying to slide the landing net handle into place while attempting to control the quarry was a brief circus act, but a fish in very average condition was corralled into the rubber meshes. Despite my Wife saying, “Bring home a fish”, it was released to grow into an improved state.
Ivan Wilson
By then, there were boats and jet skis everywhere scything through the water, and the din level was becoming unacceptable, so a decision was made to leave the lake. It was a game of dodgems on the way back to the ramp, where trucks, cars, and trailers were parked all over the place, with more coming on stream, and I thought it might be a while before I could get the boat onto the trailer. One came out, and I waved another one in as they were trying to launch, as I’d already had my day. It was clear there was something wrong with their motor or the winch system, as after ten minutes, they pulled back out again, and I got the Osprey onto the trailer. About this time, a guy set out from the ramp in a VERY noisy craft, the roar of which I thought you’d be able to hear from the moon, and it seemed he had no mu er system at all.
We can go up to Lake Brunner any time of year, and we do, but visitors only have the limited opportunities provided by holiday weekends or the annual Christmas break, so we can cut them some slack, even the ear-shattering noisy fella. I was pleased to be on my way home to where my Wife was waiting to help get the boat up the slope, over the lip under the double door and tucked up in the garage without hitting anything stored therein or ramming the other car. While this holiday season lasts, the next trip will have to be to another of our many waterways that DOESN’T have jet skiing, water skiing, or wakeboarding. Fishing is good for mental wellbeing – it’s about peace and quiet, wouldn’t you agree?
Third Time Lucky
Malcolm Halstead
Sometimes in hunting you just get lucky and this tale is a great example of just good old fashioned luck.
Twelve months ago my son Jack lost a good boar with his dogs in the hills around Kaikoura. He was a cunning old fella that simply out ran the dogs and had obviously done so many times. We decided it was time for another go so o to the same spot we went with the dogs. I took my 7mm 08 as well in case we saw some deer. As luck would have it a couple of yearlings made the mistake of being seen and were promptly dropped for the freezer. On up the hill we went to the head of the gully the boar lived in. Jack went down the gully with the dogs while I back tracked to the yearlings to bone them out. We agreed to meet back at the vehicle later in the day.
While loading the meat into my pack Jack turned up with some very tired looking dogs and a tale of how the boar had yet again beaten him. On the drive out I shot a couple of goats to do my bit in keeping the numbers under control and to test out the 08 at 250 metres. Two shots and two kills.
A week later and I decided to go back by myself to see if the boar had visited the dead goats and if so Jack could then come back from Christchurch with the dogs soon after. I got to the face in the dark and ran the thermal over to where the dead goats were. Unbelievable but there stood the boar feeding on a goat carcass! With daylight still fifteen minutes away all I could do was set the rifle up and wait all the while keeping an eye on the boar. Five minutes before daylight and disaster, the boar moved o into the scrub. I couldn’t believe my luck and just admired this cunning old bugger. With no more sight of him at daylight I packed the rifle away and got ready to move up the creek to look for a deer. A quick glance back at the face had me
freeze as unbelievably he was back out feeding on the second goat!
A quick set up of the rifle and a well placed shot at 240 metres and he was mine. As simple as that the cunning boar had made one mistake with me in the right place at the right time.
Wild food recipes with Marcus
Here’s a family friendly bit of BBQ fun and a twist on OKINOMIYAKI (Japanese pancake) using those fresh mussels you’ve pulled o the rocks and some fillets or o cuts of any white fish you might have.
Ingredients(Makes 4)
1 dozen mussels cooked and chopped
250g white fish dice
1/2 a cabbage finely sliced
1 cup corn kernels
2 - 3 eggs
1 cup water
2 tsp Original Smoke & Spice
Seasoning
Topping
Japanese plum sauce or BBQ sauce
Kewpie mayonnaise or standard mayo
Dried Bonito Flakes or spring onion
Method
Mix ingredients together to form a thick batter
On the flat grill of the BBQ ,well oiled and not too hot, place a quarter of the mix
Cook both sides and lightly drizzle with Sauce and Mayo
Top with Bonito Flakes or spring onion and serve
He was an old battler, nearly bald and with ripped ears from dealing with dogs in the past. I am not a pig hunter but would guess his weight as somewhere between 150 and 200 pound. The tusks are 90mm long and sharp as hell with some very impressive grinders. I boned out the back legs and took the back steaks and the head. The head is being boiled and bleached as a reminder of a very lucky hunt and to honour the old battler. Sometimes you just get lucky!
cups Okinomiyaki
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Right now the Ministry of Fisheries is running a public consultation on a regulatory change titled “Commercial fishers landing exemption for legalsized pāua“, and another similar consultation for Blu oysters. What’s that all about we have been asked ?
Well, there is a little bit of background to understand before the question can be answered. This round of consultations are part of a line of work the Ministry is doing to tidy up some long standing anomalies around the status of fish which is or isn’t allowed to be returned to the sea after being commercially caught. This is part of the changes to the Fisheries Act included in the 2023 Fisheries Amendment Bill.
For a long time if a Blu Oyster fisherman for example, caught oysters which were of a legal size, they were allowed to be returned to the sea so that juvenile oysters attached to clumps of legal sized oysters could be returned intact. This was allowed , as they were approved to do so under Schedule 6 of the Fisheries Act.
Schedule 6 is being transitioned out and replaced by a specific Ministerial Exemption.
To get such an exemption for a species it needs to, amongst other things, pass one or more of a number of tests. The key one is whether a returned fish has a high likelihood of survival. And that in turn has several tests; “Likelihood of survival will be informed (where information is available) by the:
• Species biology,
Putting my TAKACAT in at Purau a few weeks back for its first test drive of the year I was thinking that for not much outlay an exciting new world unfolds.
Cruising around some of the small sheltered bays home to golden sanded beaches,rocky outcrops being caressed by bull kelp in the wash , shags standing watch. Tugs heading out to greet and guide large visiting vessels ,terns diving and dolphins smiling. Being able to single handedly get set-up and in the water is great…it’s freedom on tap…you don’t know what you’re in for…it’s refreshing!
• Quantitative, anecdotal, or other qualitative information on the species:
• Mortality when caught using certain methods or under di erent environmental conditions,
• Post-release survivability following di erent methods/ conditions of capture, or
• Likely e ectiveness of handling practices that provide an acceptable likelihood of survival that might be required for an exception”
very good judges of what is and isn’t size. They get their eye in with practice. Finally, pāua catch can be destined for the live export market which demands extremely careful handling methods.
Other factors to be considered by the Minister before granting an exception are ;
• The sustainability of the stock or species.
• The method by which the stock or species is taken.
• The handling practices for the stock or species taken
Measuring
what you take from a pāua bed needs to be done carefully, get your eye in !
For commercially caught pāua the answer is yes, the survival rate of any post harvest released pāua is very high. A study done by NIWA in 2003 in Marlborough suggested a mortality rate of about 0.03% of pāua landed. This makes sense as professional pāua divers initially measure catch in the water, and return to the reef immediately if too small. Mostly though they are
The TAKACAT is a bit like a sports car …your bum is almost in the water , wind in your face and it can turn sharp at speed keeping grip with its super stable cat design.
Conceived here in NZ and with quality materials and construction it
variable MHS) and exclusive access to legal-sized sub-MHS pāua. Though obviously we think that other sectors need to fish at more biologically appropriate sizes as well ! Why would we want a Ministerial exemption to allow us to return “fitters” to the sea ?
• The social, cultural, and economic factors that the Minister considers relevant The last point is interesting, because of course for customary and recreational divers and fishers there are benefits to noncommercial sectors in the form of increased pāua abundance (as a result of the protection of pāua spawning opportunity through
This is because the best available science internationally, and in this country, says that we need to harvest pāua at a biologically appropriate size to ensure long term sustainability of our fisheries. It is best practice fisheries management to only take adult fish which have had a few years spawning, contributing to the population, before being available to be caught. We have printed a number of pieces in this paper discussing the issue of best harvest size. In some place 125mm, the current national MLS (with the exceptions of Taranaki and Kaikoura) is the best size. But in many areas it is not. Often the appropriate size, especially from the Wairarapa coast south, is quite a bit larger than the minimum legal size (MLS). It’s no secret that for example on Stewart Island we have our measures set at 142mm. The results of this industry policy, coupled with early intervention by the Ministry in getting catch levels down, has really boosted the Rakiura paua fishery. Variable size limits are a key fisheries management measure to build and maintain abundance. Our intention is to try and ensure that pāua fisheries are maintained at high levels of abundance. And having the Minister approve this landing “exception” will help that.
will do the things Kiwi’s need it to do and with products from the likes of Railblaza you can bling it up with chartplotters/fishfinders for a bit of deep water jigging when the weather window says…”GO!”
Mostly we’ll be in close and all around New Zealand there’s much to harvest . From paua to
crays , blue moki , snapper and kingies to name a few.
So the TAKACAT will be folded back into its two carry bags and once at our destination will take the whanau to places that previously we couldn’t get to and hopefully some will hold the bounty we seek.
www.takacat.co.nz
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Optically Speaking February 2025
Ant Corke
Know your thermal for a better and safer experience
Using a thermal imager for hunting has great benefits for finding game, target identification and tracking wounded animals. However, success depends on the device chosen, environmental conditions and user experience.
Recent tragic fatal shootings by unlicensed gun owners using thermals highlights the importance of safety. The greatest danger is inexperience, followed by incorrect thermal imaging choice. I will begin with experience.
A thermal imager, in the hands of an inexperienced user can lead to accidents, especially at night. The biggest problem is misidentification caused by lack of image clarity and not taking the time to observe movement. For instance, a possum in a tree at a near distance can look the same size as a person in the background at a longer distance. Both look as bright as each other, unlike what would be expected using a spotlight.
Image clarity and Spatial Resolution
The ability to positively identify an animal with a thermal varies by animal size and distance, weather conditions and immediate environment. Image resolution is determined by Spatial Resolution, which varies by device. The following calculation is purely theoretical, but it is a good reference in determining the current device.
Animal size and distance.
Positive identification with a thermal imager requires a su cient number of pixels to form a clear image. A high magnification and a sensor with more pixels has higher Spatial Resolution. Here is an example:
Thermal #1 has a 17µm 640x480 array and a 35mm lens that has a horizontal field-of-view of 31.3m @ 100m (17.8˚)
Thermal #2 has a 17µm 640x480 array with a 50mm lens that has a horizontal field-of-view of 21.8m @ 100m (12.4˚)
Spatial Resolution is calculated by dividing the field-of-view of the thermal by the number of horizontal pixels in the sensor array. Firstly, convert the field-of-view in metres to millimetres for easier understanding.
Thermal #1 (31.3m x 1000)
31,300mm ÷ 640 = 48.9mm @100m
Thermal #2 (21.8m x 1000)
21,800mm ÷ 640 = 34mm @100m
Therefore, each pixel in a 640x480 array with a 35mm f/l lens will resolve a space of 48.9mm2, while a 50mm lens will resolve 34mm2 @ 100m. The further the distance, the lower the resolving power relative to object size. Fundamentally, it is not pixel size that determines Spatial Resolution, but the number of pixels that cover a particular object. However, 12µm sensors are smaller than 17µm sensors and therefore have a higher magnification and narrower field-ofview when fitted with a lens of the same focal length.
Johnson’s Criteria
According to Johnson’s Criteria (developed by the US Department of Defence), the minimum number of pixels required to identify an object with a probability of 50% is 14 vertical pixels. For hunting safety 50% probability is unacceptable, so if we doubled this figure, then added a margin to account for di erences in the imaging performance of the thermal imager, we get a practical starting point to begin evaluating device capability. Remember that these figures are based on viewing in optimal conditions.
Weather conditions and immediate environment
Image clarity is a ected by humidity that blocks and disperses the image entering the lens, while high temperatures reduce the thermal contrast between the object and its surroundings. What is feasible on paper may be completely inaccurate in the field, for instance, a cool evening after a warm day often means that the air is heavy with moisture (which eventually forms dew), reducing device performance.
Larger pixels are more sensitive than smaller pixels because they have a greater surface area. For instance, a 17µm pixel has twice the surface area of a 12µm, making the larger sensor inherently better at penetrating moisture. Sensitivity is another factor that contributes to image clarity but is not included in Johnson’s Criteria calculations.
Immediate environment, such as grasses and other foliage further
Though there will be a reduction in image quality caused by printing onto newsprint, these images clearly display the required level of detail for positive identification. The deer’s movement will further add certainty, especially at a longer distance.
a ect image clarity. The lay of land is another consideration especially when part of an animal or person is hidden. For instance, a person standing on a track that is lower than the observer may present only a view of a head, which could be mistaken for a rabbit at closer range or a larger animal at a longer range.
My advice
Never shoot at a blob, no matter how sure you are that it is a target species. Take your time, observe movement and move close enough for positive identification. If an animal is spooked and runs o , don’t beat yourself up over it, you did the right thing.
Experience is the key to safe and successful thermal hunting. Never buy a thermal and take it hunting until you gain experience with its functions and distance limitations. This can only be achieved by observing di erent animals in a variety of conditions and distances; and always be sure that your background is safe. These are
the principles of safe shooting regardless of what technology is used. The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association is currently setting up hunter safety information and courses that include thermal, which is a very welcome move indeed.
Finally
Choose your thermal imager based on the distance that you will be hunting at most often. Having a wide field-of-view is very important if you are hunting forestry, bush and other close quarter environments. A higher magnification and narrower field-of-view is more important for shooting at longer distances in open country. The quality of the device is important, but all thermals look good in a shop or when looked through for the first time. Pulsar thermals are widely used by professionals because they are the best.
See the Pulsar range at www.pulsarthermal.co.nz
HUNT LIKE A PRO
Made in Europe
Chosen by professionals
Pulsar thermals are the first choice amongst professionals.
Our great range starts at $2599, representing great value for high quality, proven, European made thermal optics with advanced Lynred sensors.
HAND-HELD THERMALS
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Lightweight, quick-change battery, robust and outstanding performance.
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THERMALS RIFLESCOPES
PULSAR THERMION
Professionals favourite. Quick-change battery with internal back-up, 30mm tube and integrates with Stream Vision Ballistics for reliable shot placement. Available with 1000m laser rangefinder.
Choice of 384x288, 640x480 or 1024x768 sensors.
From $5399.00
PULSAR TALION
Compact, quick-change battery, QD mount and integrates with Stream Vision Ballistics for reliable shot placement.
Choice of 384x288 or 640x480 sensors.
From $4999.00
People taking too much pāua have had an expensive summer with fines costing them hundreds of dollars.
“Fishers who ignore the fishing rules need to know there will be consequences and it will hurt their wallet. Our job is to protect fishing resources so that everyone can enjoy the opportunity to put fresh kaimoana on the dinner the table,” says Fisheries New Zealand Director of Fisheries Compliance, Steve Ham.
A 30-year-old Hastings man and a 32-year-old Whanganui man have been fined $1200 each in the Hastings District Court for taking 54 undersize pāua from Kairakau Beach in February last year. The daily limit per person is five pāua with a minimum size of 125mm. The men told Fishery O cers they did not know the daily limit or measure their catch, nor did they possess a customary permit to take the shellfish.
A 28-year-old man was fined $600 in the Hastings District Court, for taking 54 pāua from Mangakuri Beach in 2023. 52 of the pāua were undersize. The daily catch limit per person is five pāua with a minimum
size of 125mm. Another 20-yearold man was granted a discharge without conviction after donating $500 to the SPCA for his part in the o ending.
A 40-year-old Hastings man was placed on six months community detention and 12 months supervision in the Napier District Court for taking 33 pāua, of which 24 were undersize. The man who has previous fisheries convictions was stopped by Fishery O cers in November 2022
after being at Managakuri beach. The pāua had been shucked. The daily limit per person for pāua is five with a minimum size of 125mm.
A 45-year-old Lower Hutt man has been fined $2000 in Hutt Valley District Court for taking 68 pāua from the Eastbourne area. The man had his catch inspected in July last year. The daily limit per person
is five with a minimum length of 125mm.
A 37-year-old Hastings has been fined $800 in the Hastings District Court for obstructing Fishery O cers who were carrying out their inspections in March last year. The Fishery O cers were patrolling Blackhead Beach and observed four divers return to their vehicle. While they were checking the vehicle’s catch, they were approached by
another vehicle at speed which failed to stop when told to by the Fishery O cers. Police intervened and stopped the man, who was subsequently charged with obstruction.
“If you’re unsure of the fishing rules in the area you plan to fish – get the most up to date fishing rules by downloading the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app. It will also work if you’re fishing in an area with limited mobile coverage,” says Fisheries New Zealand Director of Fisheries Compliance Steve Ham.
Fisheries New Zealand encourages people to report any suspected illegal fishing activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 47 62 24).
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