South Island Recreational Fisheries Policy
Photo Credit: Ailsa McGilvary-Howard
A key development for Fish Mainland is its South Island Recreational Fisheries Policy.
Its purpose is to guide and coordinate the actions of the South Island recreational fishing sector, the Crown, Iwi, other fishing sectors and interests in realising opportunities and meeting the challenges facing the recreational sector in shared fisheries.
Shared fisheries are those where commercial, recreational and Māori customary fishers have a shared interest, and they value their share quite differently.
The Policy states that collaboration embodies South Islanders’ approach to shared fisheries problems. The gathering together of various fishing sectors and interests to find workable solutions characterises the Guardians of Fiordland and Kaikoura. This same approach is suitable for resolving most other regional fisheries problems.
These problems are wide ranging, including spatial and temporal conflicts between fishing sectors, various land-based activities that threaten the health of marine habitats and ecosystems, and the growing adverse effects of climate change. All fishing sectors and interests would benefit by having representative bodies that can collaboratively address a range of issues and work with diverse groups to resolve shared problems.