New Zealand Sport Fishing Council > Fisheries > Species > Crayfish > Crayfish ACE carry forward 2020

Crayfish ACE carry forward 2020

DECISION: APPROVED

Introduction

On 14 February 2020 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) advised they were seeking urgent feedback on the proposal to enable uncaught crayfish Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) to be carried forward to the next fishing year beginning 1 April 2020. Submissions were due by 24 February 2020.

The carry forward provision was to alleviate the impacts due to the Coronavirus preventing crayfish exports to China during the Chinese New Year period. Any change to the status quo would require amending the Fisheries Act or its regulations.

Submission

The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council worked with the LegaSea team and the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association to develop a submission in response to the proposal. Four recommendations were included in the submission, including that the Minister does not allow for any carry over in most rock lobster management areas (CRA 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 & 8) because of sustainability concerns and/or pending commercial catch limit increases.

Relevant information

Included below are several Cabinet, Ministerial and official papers released as part of a larger document dump related to the government’s response to the Coronavirus. These papers are directly related to management decisions for rock lobster.

2020

Ministerial documents

Fisheries Order. Government. 12 Mar 2020

Fisheries (Schedule 5A-Rock Lobster) Order 2020. Authority to remove the crayfish stocks from Schedule 5A of the Fisheries Act so uncaught ACE can be carried over into the new fishing year. The CRA stocks will be reinstated to Schedule 5A on 1 April 2021. NZ Government. 12 March 2020.

Minister's decision. 3 Mar 2020

Stuart Nash has allowed 10% of ACE to be carried forward to the next fishing year, from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. Minister of Fisheries. 3 March 2020.

Fisheries NZ Update. 3 Mar 2020

Fisheries New Zealand advise the Minister has allowed 10% of rock lobster ACE to be carried forward to the 2020-21 fishing year. 370 submissions were received by FNZ in response to the proposal. Fisheries New Zealand. 3 March 2020.

Cabinet papers

Draft Cabinet Minute. Minister. 26 Feb 2020

Draft Cabinet Legislation Committee Minute of Decision to enable the carry forward of 10% of CRA ACE to the 2020-21 fishing year. Minister of Fisheries. 26 February 2020.

Draft Cabinet Paper. Minister. 26 Feb 2020

A Paper for the Minister of Fisheries to present to the Cabinet to gain their approval to enable the carry forward of 10% of CRA ACE to the following 2021 season. Fisheries New Zealand. 26 February 2020.

Cabinet Paper. Fisheries NZ. 26 Feb 2020

A Paper for the Minister of Fisheries to present to the Cabinet to gain their approval to enable the carry forward of 10% of CRA ACE to the following 2021 season. Fisheries New Zealand. 26 February 2020.

Submissions

Submissions summary. FNZ. 25 Feb 2020

Summary of submissions received on the proposed carry forward of CRA ACE to the following year. MPI propose to proceed with a 10% carry forward proposal to Cabinet. Ministry for Primary Industries. 25 February 2020.

Submission. Joint recreational. 24 Feb 2020

Submission opposing the proposal to enable rock lobster ACE to be carried forward to the next fishing year. There are sustainability concerns for most crayfish stocks and the TACC is already over 94% caught in CRA 1, 5, 7 & 9. Joint recreational submission by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council-LegaSea and the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association. 24 February 2020.

Submission. Forest & Bird. 24 Feb 2020

Forest & Bird support some carry over of CRA ACE in selected fish stocks, not in CRA 2. Forest & Bird. 24 February 2020.

FNZ Proposal

Proposal. Fisheries NZ. 14 Feb 2020

MPI Discussion Paper on whether to enable Annual Catch Entitlement carry forward for rock lobster. Urgent submissions required, by 24 Feb. Fisheries New Zealand. 14 February 2020.

Draft proposal. Fisheries NZ. 12 Feb 2020

CRA ACE carry forward draft consultation proposal document for Ministerial review prior to release. Fisheries New Zealand. 12 February 2020.

Ministerial briefing. FNZ. 7 Feb 2020

Advice to the Minister to inform Cabinet of a draft consultation document to enable CRA ACE carry forward. Fisheries New Zealand. 7 February 2020.

Govt options. MPI. 7 Feb 2020

MPI advise the Minister that the rock lobster industry is the hardest hit due to Covid 19. Acknowledges the Minister earlier in the week had approved the release of CRA back to sea by commercial fishers. Ministry for Primary Industries advice. 7 February 2020.

2020

Release of live crayfish approval process

Minister approves crayfish release. Nash. 5 Feb 2020

Stuart Nash approves the release of caught crayfish back into the water to mitigate the losses of exports due to Coronavirus. Minister of Fisheries. 5 February 2020.

Ministry advice. MPI. 5 Feb 2020

MPI advice that the government has agreed to an interim solution to allow the release of live crayfish back into the wild. This is to help support the rock lobster industry and minimise losses due to Coronavirus. Ministry for Primary Industries. 5 February 2020.

Release of live crayfish is permitted. 1 News. 5 Feb 2020

1 News reports on the Minister’s approval for the release of live crayfish back into the sea. 1 News. 5 February 2020.