It is important that people continue to engage and provide feedback to ensure that MPI is doing this strategy well. To keep up to date with the progress of the strategy, visit the MPI website www.mpi.govt.nz/bluecod or follow the progress on the MPI fisheries page in the Nelson/Marlborough/Kaikoura area: www.facebook.com/MPIFisheriesNelsonMarlboroughKaikoura/ In general, feedback from fishermen, Tangata Whenua and the public has shown that the blue cod fishery is good in most areas, but that there are problems in some regions, which need to be resolved. MPI has begun to develop options to treat areas under pressure and protect areas that are doing well. MPI will launch the second phase of public engagement early next year and will gather feedback on these proposed options and on additional or alternative measures. As part of this strategy, we have developed guidelines for a responsible blue cod fishery. If you follow the guidelines, it will help undersized blue cod survive and continue to contribute to the fishery. The main objective of the strategy is to work together to ensure a rich and sustainable blue cod fishery for all. We worked with iwi, stakeholders and an expert panel on blue cod to develop and complete it. A recreational catch of blue cod and the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse behind it. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Changes are underway in the cod fishery.
However, there is a catch, writes Randall Bess. The 2019 consultation on changing the blue cod fishing rules requires recreational fishers to land blue cod in a measurable condition (unless it is consumed immediately on the fishing vessel from which it was taken). Amendments to the Blue Cod Regulations were deferred to April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can view the measurement rules and guidelines in the free NZ Fishing Rules app, on the MPI website, www.mpi.govt.nz/fishingrules, in the brochures available at our marina offices, or by free SMS to 9889 with the name of the species – for example: “blue cod” or “paua”. You`ll also see signs showing fishing rules at many popular fishing spots and our launch pads. Overview of the rules applicable to blue cod for recreation – Map [PDF, 1.1 MB] Application of a two-day accumulation limit for recreational blue cod fishermen based on the daily catch limit set for all areas (with the exception of the Fiordland Marine Area, where the accumulation limit is 1 day) The new rules aim to combat local overfishing, especially in parts of the South Island, in which most blue cod are caught. Taylor says. Photo: André Richard Chalmers licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 The rules for recreational and commercial blue cod fishing will soon change to improve the sustainability of this very important fishery. From 2011, several management rules were introduced to continue the reconstruction of the blue cod fishery in solar dams. These rules included a daily pocket limit of two fish in the sounds and a daily limit of three fish outside the sounds (in the Challenger [East] zone). In addition, a rule has been introduced that prohibits transit through sounds, while you have three blue cod caught outside the sounds.
Minimum catches will be standardized to 33 cm in most areas, with the exception of the Upper North Island, the minimum mesh size for blue cod will be increased to 54 mm for all fishermen and a measure known as the “traffic light system” will be used to indicate the daily catch limit for different areas. The transit rule applies only to blue cod. Another rule that only applies to blue cod is that it must be landed in a measurable state (i.e. completely or eviscerated) if it is not consumed immediately on board. All existing regulations continue to apply to beifangarten. The changes were seen in March last year and more than 900 bids were received, with most bidders supporting a reduction in the daily pocket limit for blue cod, Fisheries New Zealand said. Each year, the Marlborough Sounds are closed to cod fishing from September 1 to December 20. This gives the blue cod population in the sounds time to spawn undisturbed by fishing pressure. In December 2019, the government began considering final consultation on proposed amendments to the Blue Cod Regulations. During the first phase of the strategy`s development, 376 people received feedback from the marlborough area online survey, and many members of the public and fishers attended the information sessions in Blenheim and Nelson to talk about their local blue cod fishery and the changes they had observed.
This information is essential to understanding the problems faced by the regional cod fishery. A total of 335 people attended the information events in the South Island, and MPI received more than 1,100 responses to nationwide surveys during the first round. Other changes include that all blue cod caught during recreation must be landed in a measurable condition, unless it is consumed immediately on the fishing vessel from which it was caught, and the accumulation limit for blue cod is now set at two days (i.e., two daily pocket limits per person per day), with the exception of the Fiordland Marine Area, where the accumulation limit is one day. Now that the area is open to blue cod fishing, it is important that we know and follow the rules. In the Challenger East area (which includes the Marlborough Sounds), the limit is 2 blue cod per person per day, with a minimum height of 33 cm.