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RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Fisheries Minister Shane Jones on industry reforms
An overhaul of the rules will allow greater catch limits when fish are abundant and stop on-board camera footage from being made public. Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones spoke to Corin Dann. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Fisheries Act reforms to allow greater catch limits, on-board camera footage to stay hidden
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii An overhaul of fisheries rules will allow greater catch limits when fish are abundant and stop on-board camera footage being made public. The changes announced by Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones on Wednesday are part of a proposed new law that will be introduced later this year. The reforms would help the fishing industry achieve its "enormous potential for sustainable growth," Jones said. "These changes are the most significant reforms to the Fisheries Act for decades and they reflect my commitment to the success of our fishing industry which generates around $1.5 billion in exports each year." Changes to catch limits mean some fisheries will be allowed to "automatically respond" to fluctuations in the number of fish in the sea, for up to five years. The current process was slow and each change must be considered separately, Jones said. "These rules will be subject to the usual scientific evaluation and consultation processes but will allow for greater catch when there are more fish in the water and more responsive intervention when fisheries need to recover." Footage from onboard cameras would no longer be subject to the Official Information Act, but would still be used to "contribute to fisheries management", he said. More than 150 vessels have had cameras installed since the former Labour government's push to improve under-reporting of bycatch of species like penguins, dolphins and seals. Jones said the change would protect the privacy and confidentiality of people going about their legal business. He previously told media the courts should deal with illegal fishing, not the "court of public opinion". "Fishers won't need to worry about private or commercially sensitive footage being publicly released and either deliberately or unintentionally misconstrued," said Jones. The reforms also set out new rules around when fish must be landed and when they could be returned to the sea. "As long as the catch is monitored and accounted for under the Fisheries Act, fishers will be able to decide whether to land or discard relevant catch," Jones said. An amendment Bill would be introduced later this year, and people would be able to provide feedback during the select committee process. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
