Increase in Hoki Quota Validates Prudent Management of New Zealand’s Fisheries

Decision Repudiates Radical Activists Who Attacked the Fisheries

Press release by the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, 30 September 2009.

Today, the New Zealand Minister of Fisheries announced that the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) of the nation's two hoki fisheries for the upcoming fishing year will be increased by 20,000 tonnes, - more than a 20 percent increase over the previous year.  This marks the successful rebuilding of the Western stock, which required catch reductions, a painful process that was undertaken with full support by quota owners in the New Zealand seafood industry in order to keep the fisheries healthy and sustainable.

"Today's decision is a tremendous validation of our long-term strategy to keep the hoki fisheries economically and environmentally sustainable," said George Clement, the New Zealand Seafood Industry's DeepWater Group chief executive.  "Beginning about a decade ago, the New Zealand government and Seafood Industry made the difficult decision to cut the quota and to shrink the fleet in order to preserve the long-term viability of the hoki fisheries," Clement said.  "Today's announcement is the result of all those years of prudent and disciplined management."

The decision comes a few weeks after the New York Times ran a story questioning the sustainability of New Zealand's hoki fisheries [From Deep Pacific, Ugly and Tasty, With a Catch, 09/09/09].  In the wake of a vigorous challenge to the newspaper's reporting, a New York Times editor wrote a letter to the industry apologising for its conduct, while also issuing a clarification to its reporting.  The letter, as well as the complete exchange between the newspaper and the New Zealand Seafood Industry can be found at: http://www.seafoodindustry.co.nz/nzhoki.

The decision is a powerful rebuke to several environmental groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, who have insisted on attacking the sustainable management of New Zealand's hoki fisheries even in the wake of a recertification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2007.  "We continue to be disappointed in the actions of WWF and other allied organizations.  Instead of participating as an equal partner in the MSC process, WWF's actions serve only to mislead and to denigrate.  The management of these fisheries is best undertaken through collaborative, trust-based relationships amongst all of those involved.  The New Zealand Seafood Industry remains open to honest, fact based dialogue and opposed to fear-based rhetoric." Clement said.

"There are plenty of organizations that claim they support prudent sustainable management of our fisheries.  To date, it seems to be only the industry and the New Zealand government that are demonstrating any real commitment to that goal in our country."