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Fishing News
Crimptoon
Your Daily Laugh
The Fishing Paper February front page
In China it's the year of the dragon, but at The Fishing Paper it's the year of the snapper.
Also salmon are on the move, the kingis are fighting hard, the alberts have made an appearance, snapper are on the bite and the elephants are coming.
This month read about the holy grail of snapper, meet the stickbait men, and enjoy a little early morning delight with a Motueka woman.
In the hunting section, Crimpy hunts with the leopard of the sky while gourmet hunter Mark Wills is in for a bit of straight shooting. There's a tale of survival from a massive storm, and Kim Swan goes for a bit of a pig and a poke!Plus there's our eight-page Mayday liftout aimed at helping keep you safe in our great outdoors.
The massive February Fishing Paper - free from a dedicated distributor near you.
February Tagger Of The Month
February Tagger Of The Month - Dave Evans
This is one of several kingfish caught on the spat farms off Motueka on Boxing Day, and is the first one Dave Evans has tagged.
Dave was a happy camper when he finally landed this fish, as he had been smashed off twice already by these dirty fighting hoodlums.
His offsider Reice Piggott had a good run, landing six fish without losing any costly Rapalas, much to Dave's disgust. One fish was kept for the smoker and the other six were released.
Blue Cod Rules Confusion
There still seems to be confusion with the blue cod rules in the Marlborough Sounds and the area known as Challenger East. (Refer the large maps in this month's publication of the Fishing Paper).
Marlborough Sounds Area
The Marlborough Sounds area is closed for blue cod fishing from 1 September until 19 December inclusive. Below are questions we are receiving.
Closed Blue Cod Season (1 September -19 December)
Q: During the closed blue cod season in the Marlborough Sounds can I still fish for other species such as snapper and sea perch?
A: Yes you can still fish for those species. If you did accidentally take a blue cod then you must immediately return it to the sea.
Q: During the closed season can I take my boat outside Tory Channel and fish for blue cod and then transport my cod back through the Marlborough Sounds Area?
A: Yes, during the closed season you can transport blue cod from the Challenger East Area into the Marlborough Sounds. However, the onus would be on you to provide evidence of where the blue cod had been caught. Useful information to help Fishery Officers includes GPS tracks on chart plotters and digital photographs of blue cod caught with coastal landmarks in view.
Open Blue Cod Season (20 December-31 August)
Q: During the open season, I stay on my launch over long weekends and fish most days in the Marlborough Sounds. Can I accumulate blue cod in the freezer of my vessel if I bag and date my catch?
A: No, you cannot accumulate blue cod in the Marlborough Sounds Area.
You can take two blue cod between 30-35cm per fisher per day, however you would need to eat your blue cod on board before catching any more.
Challenger East
The recreational daily limit in Challenger East is three blue cod per person per day and the minimum legal size limit is 30 cm.
Q: I have a small boat and fish out of Okiwi Bay, how many blue cod can I take and can I fillet them at sea?
A: This area is in Challenger East so you could take three blue cod greater than 30cm per fisher. The blue cod must be landed in a measurable state either whole or gutted.
Q: I have a launch and we fish off the western side of d'Uurville Island and spend the night in Port Hardy. Can I accumulate my catch of blue cod?
A: Yes in Challenger East Area, when fishing over 2 or more days, each fisher can possess a maximum of six blue cod.
Q: I have a launch that I keep in Havelock and fish on the western side of d'Urville Island. How many blue cod can I bring back to Havelock through the Marlborough Sounds area?
A: Closed Marlborough Sounds Blue Cod Season (1 September -19 December)
The western side of d'Urville Island is in the Challenger East Area, therefore during the closed season you can possess over two or more days fishing, a maximum of six blue cod greater than 30cm per fisher. These fish could then be transported back into the Marlborough Sounds Area (with proof of where they were caught) and they must be landed in a whole or gutted state.
Open Marlborough Sounds Blue Cod Season (20 December-31 August)
During open season, you could only transport back into the Marlborough Sounds Area a maximum of two blue cod between 30-35cm per fisher, regardless of where they were caught.
If you are still confused please contact a Fishery Officer.
Merger Threat To Fisheries
"The announcement of a merger between the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries could be just another nail in the coffin of public access to a feed of fish from our inshore fisheries or an opportunity to ensure proper recognition of our rights are given effect", said New Zealand Recreational Fishing Council (NZRFC) president Geoff Rowling.
"Not content with having ripped the heart from Mfish during the strategic review two years ago they are now destroying its soul by turning it into a completely commercially orientated backroom section within a much larger organization. That review saw a significant reduction particularly in human resources committed to managing fisheries for the public and this merger will only serve to speed the devolution of control to commercial interests.
It is plain from Government statements the emphasis will be on gaining the greatest commercial gain from our fisheries and it follows this will occur at the expense of public access. There seems to be complete denial of the crucial part that access to a feed from our shores plays in the daily lives of thousands of New Zealanders just trying to provide their kids with a healthy feed.
On the other hand the Government could recognise the difficulty present voluntary organizations will have defending public access to a fair share in a new super-sized ministry with a less informed and more over worked Minister. The much better resourced and organized sectors of commercial and Maori will ride roughshod over the public share unless the Government does something about leveling the playing field.
It is very unlikely the Government refuses will provide a proper section within the new ministry structure to look after the public's interest, so the very least they should do is fully fund an independent investigation into how this interest can be better represented and protected. Now is the time for a national discussion about how we guarantee access to abundant fisheries for all New Zealanders now and into the future.
The NZRFC is ready to take part in any new initiative to facilitate this discussion with the view to improving representation and protection of public access to a reasonable daily bag. It is crucial for the public that having shared the pain in rebuilding many of our inshore stocks over the last 25 years we don't just see them all disappear into containers for processing in China.
Geoff Rowling
President NZRFC
Ph 0274 593557
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