34 | NZ Federation of Commercial Fishers - Talleys T T Hugh de Lacy Speaking up for the fishing industry President of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishers, Doug Saunders-Loder, addresses the Federation’s annual conference. “Our strength comes from the grassroots, our network of regional associations run by owneroperators, who know their coasts and communities.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT After more than 70 years of representation, the Federation of Commercial Fishers is primed to advocate for New Zealand’s independent inshore fishers. They have a lot to work with – its members underpin a historically rooted, culturally significant, and economically vital profession that sustains coastal communities. And, as with their equivalents in other primary industries, such as farmers, most fishers would rather get on with the job of providing nutritious food than talk about issues and politics. The federation does this on their behalf, with fishers’ input into submissions and surveys, and once a year members get hands-on (and voices on) with hot topics at the federation’s conference. Held in Christchurch in late May, this year’s conference was attended by nearly 200 fishers. The main themes were technological progress with NIWA’s new camera technology, and the collaboration between fishers and government to conduct scientific trawl surveys off the east coast of the North Island. The data will kick-start a multi-year scientific stock-monitoring plan in that region. The Federation of Commercial Fishers was founded in 1953 by a group of small to medium-sized South Island fishers, evolving into a national organisation. At the helm today is chair Doug Saunders-Loder. “Our strength comes from the grassroots, our network of regional associations run by owner-operators, who know their coasts and communities,” Doug says. “A lot happens among local groups – sharing knowledge, sorting issues – and our job at the national level is to back them up, connect the dots and take their concerns to the top when policy’s being shaped.” One of the key issues for fishers is a perceived lack of understanding about fishing methods – primarily bottom trawling. Doug says bottom trawling is necessary in New Zealand because many of the fish species which people enjoy eating – snapper, tarakihi, gurnard, rig and more – live on or near the bottom of the ocean. “It’s where they live, and it’s where fishers go to catch them – typically returning to the same fishing grounds where fish are reproducing at a healthy enough rate to ensure a sustainable catch level.” He says that while bottom trawling is very common, (about 70% of the country’s commercial fish catch comes from bottom trawling), successful and sustainable, it is disproportionately misunderstood. In some cases, he says people are misinformed through “anti-fishing campaigning” by environmental lobby groups. That, Doug says, is deeply upsetting. “New Zealand’s inshore fishers are working in one of the most densely regulated and highly monitored industries in New Zealand. “Fishers are constantly upskilling, investing, innovating and keeping up with fisheries reform and change. T T to page 36 “They are not going out there, and it’s a tough job that most people don’t want to do, to accidentally catch seabirds, or bring up dead coral rubble in their nets,” he says “They’re doing everything to avoid this and, when it does occasionally happen, to keep incidents of bycatch within the legal limits.” The fish that people buy and eat are known, but the way they are harvested is not – unlike other primary industries, such as beef farming, which is visible compared to a fisherman’s operations from a small boat out on the ocean. mmo-ঞ; -m7 bm7v|u 1_-m]bm] _7u-Ѵb1 v-=;| vv|;lv 0 "ĺ " bmv|-ѴѴbm] - u;|uoC;7 " "$ v-=;| vv|;l om -1 -0Ľv -t-1Ѵ|u; ;vv;Ѵķ |_; (-m]-u7ĺ ćXLGSRZHU FR Q]
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