18 | FISHERIES SECTOR Solander Group Fishing for the future fundamental Karen Phelps Based in Nelson with offices located in the port and its seafood processing plant in Richmond, Solander employs over 30 staff. Solander is proud of its history in ensuring New Zealand’s Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) quotas are sustainable and our country’s current and future allocations in this global fishery are protected. SBT – Solander’s signature fish – is a highly migratory species meaning that it is not resident in New Zealand but traverses across many national economic zones and as such it does not belong to any one nation, explains Solander company director James Hufflett. SBT is managed under the Commission for the Convention of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), which comprises eight member nations having fishing interests in SBT. The initial SBT country allocations were set in 1994 and New Zealand was allocated a mere 420 tonnes – well under historical catches in New Zealand’s national economic zone. Through continued persistence from Solander, with support from various other parties, eventually New Zealand’s allocation was rightfully doubled. In 2017 New Zealand received 6.3% shares (representing 1046mt today) in the global allocation now known as the Global Catch Limit. James says that Solander prides itself on adhering to all relevant management regimes enacted in the interests of sustainable fishing. Management and seagoing staff are acutely aware of environmental issues and the business is managed accordingly. A good example is how the company’s SBT quota is caught “The longline fishing method does not interact with the seabed or benthic communities. It’s a highly targeted fishing method and arguably it is the most environmentally sensitive of all commercial fishing activity,” he says. James says that fishing for the future and maintaining stocks is of utmost importance in everything Solander does. As part of the CCSBT every SBT caught is tagged and documented until it reaches the end buyer. James says this effectively prevents any illegal and unauthorised sales by non CCSBT members into key markets, such as Japan and the USA, “Every fish caught is treated with great care. It is handled with cotton gloves and landed onto a soft mat to ensure the best quality product arrives at the end market,” says James. Solander is a local fishing company, which has been operating in the seafood industry FREEING YOU TO FLOAT YOUR BOAT oceanlaw.co.nz 0800 623 265 “The longline fishing method does not interact with the seabed or benthic communities. It’s a highly targeted fishing method and arguably it is the most environmentally sensitive of all commercial fishing activity.” for 40 years since being established in 1980. Solander’s early involvement in the fishing industry was primarily in the tuna, squid and ling fisheries. In the early 80’s Solander introduced the first and only New Zealand super freezer vessel into the Southern Blue Fin Fishery. The vessel had a helipad for lifting premium fresh fish directly from the West Coast fishing grounds. The vessel could also hold 320 tonnes of frozen whole tuna and was equipped with blast freezers for freezing tuna down to 60 Celsius – all destined for the Japanese markets. Nowadays the fishery is based around a fresh operation with smaller privately owned vessels. Based in Nelson with offices located in the port and its seafood processing plant in Richmond, Solander employ over 30 staff. The company also relies on a large number of service providers from packaging suppliers, reefer engineers, freight forwards and PPE supplies to keep it operating to the standards required, making it a major contributor to the local economy. to page 20
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