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No more scallops from Mercury Island and Whitianga


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East Coromandel scallop fishery to close for two years

Covers Mercury Islands, Matarangi, Opito Bay, Hot Water Beach, Slipper Island, Oputere Brach.

"A large part of Opito Bay was already closed to commercial scallop harvesting, on top of seasonal restrictions for both recreational and commercial fishing."

"The new closure area is much larger and applies to both recreational and commercial scallop fishing. This will support scallop populations, across a larger area of the coastline and is part of the overall scallop management picture that Fisheries New Zealand is currently considering."

The closure takes effect from Saturday, September 11.

MPI fishery officers will continue to patrol the coast supporting public awareness and enforcing the rules. Anyone with information about suspected illegal fishing should contact MPI on 0800 4 POACHER to report it.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/east-coromandel-scallop-fishery-to-close-for-two-years/O53XPHPLW6J5U6ABLM6GEKPTFU/

 

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As a diver that's had more than their fair share of seafood over the last 50 years this makes me sad, but it's a reality that we can't keep going like this.

With more & more people in NZ, and more fishing & diving pressure, much more capable boats that are the most affordable ever, something has to change.

My home waters, the Hauraki Gulf, desperately need a break from the constant take.

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55 minutes ago, Fogg said:

Looking at this list of places (that’s technically outside the Gulf) does it risk displacing ‘hunters’ back into the Gulf?

Only if they want to get scallops.

Once when I stayed in Mercury Cove, a guy was swimming around in a wetsuit between boats handing out scallops. He had obviously taken far too many. Doh!

 

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Been diving out there for over 40 years. The fall off in numbers at Opito Bay has been very fast. Five years ago they were everywhere. All is not lost as Scallops do move around a bit. Tryphena was brilliant then empty and now quite good again. 

Absolutely support giving them a break. 

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There needs to be a total rethink on recreational fishing (and commercial) that focuses on maintaining the whole ecosystem.

My suggestions:

  • Permanently ban dredges and bottom trawling, due to the seabed damage
  • Ban taking crays in the gulf until the cray population is back to 1950s levels.
  • Ban recreational set nets, due to the by catch problems, and the inability to turn dead fish back, and ban longlines (untended, multiple hooks), same problem. Nets are also really bad when they end up lost.
  • Massively expand the no-take marine reserves.  Make them all much bigger, and make many more of them.
  • Ban taking shellfish from the rocks, beaches and estuaries until the ecosystems recover, and then open up with reduced catch limits.

Unfortunately this impacts the locals who are used to catching a feed from their local boat ramp or beach the most. But the alternative is no fish anywhere and a more and more degraded ecosystem.

Number one problem: We all like the fresh kai moana. But ultimately, living next to the beach, or owning a boat, or having a habit, doesn't give someone more rights to fish than the person who lives further away.

Number two problem: People don't like different rules for different groups. In this scenario it is highly likely that māori would have different fishing rights, as guaranteed to them under the treaty.

 

 

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We need to be logging our catch rates via some sort of app like comms do now,there is an app out from Fish4all,but advocacy groups firmly believe we do not need to file returns as the waste ffom cooms in unknown. What is unknown is what reccs actually take,yes niwa do occasional ramp surveys,mpi/fisheries check and measure occasionally but still we are a unknown quantity.

Customary rights is not just for Maori anyone can apply,but what I would like too see is,no undertaking of size limit or taking of banned species (toheroa) or taking from closed areas.

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2 minutes ago, ex Elly said:

What if I want to go to the shop or pub though?

Don't carry on down to Whitianga because we have these special detection bouys at the harbour entrance that detect Auckland boats. They sound a warning siren and have flashing lights.

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5 hours ago, harrytom said:

Fucken shambles.

There is fan worm endimic, and we have rules gallore on that. The white truncated haemaroid thing, there is about a dozen marine invasive species. Now they're going to close half of barrier?

Anyone remember than M. Bovis palava. Not to mention the other bug thats going around...

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Its only until November, I get how terribly inconvenient it is for Auckland holiday makers to be prevented from holidaying on their yachts and launches for a while in two big bays in the entire Hauraki Gulf..... but until them; diddum's🤣

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