With fishing under attack lately, it can be easy to forget that we need to keep things in perspective. So on the eve of Matariki, we've got some good news to share about what a global authority says about New Zealand.
The world can feel like a crazy place at times. Driven by click-bait headlines and fueled by anger, there's a risk of losing track of the facts. But just out, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its most detailed global assessment of fisheries yet - and for New Zealand, it's something worth celebrating.
It's a big report, but here are three quick takeaways (and yes, they're all about us!):
1. New Zealand is leading the way in managing fisheries
The FAO's report highlights that our part of the world is a leader in fisheries management.
We are part of FAO Major Fishing Area 81 - Southwest Pacific, which encompasses the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean from 150° to 120° east. It includes our entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ) plus a smidge of Australia's EEZ (the state of New South Wales), and extensive areas of the high seas.
The report says:
"Area 81 is one of the Areas where more extensive management is applied, with levels of sustainable stocks being among the highest globally (second only to Area 67 - Northwest Pacific). This is mostly due to higher-than-average assessment, management and institutional capacity in the two countries that primarily share this Area. Both countries have taken substantial measures to curtail overfishing since the 1990s, with effective results".
This is our Quota Management System (QMS) in action, setting strict limits on what we can fish.
2. 85.5% of assessed fish stocks are sustainably fished
The FAO estimates that 85.5% of the assessed fish stocks in Area 81 are sustainably fished. And these results are consistent for both Australia and New Zealand, again showing the strength of our fisheries management. This is in line with the assessments published by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), which says "most of our fish stocks of known status are in good shape... [including] 87.7% or 128 stocks and sub-stocks (out of 146) [which is] 97.6% of the total landings of assessed stocks by weight".
3. We've got great data and monitoring
The report also highlights that Area 81 is one of the most data-rich and closely assessed regions globally.
That's thanks to a huge, combined effort from both Government and the seafood industry to really understand what's happening out on the water and what impact commercial fishing has on fish stocks and the marine environment.
But what about protected species?
The report doesn't get into this side of things. But with some recent headlines about protected species captures, we thought you might want to hear some context.
The latest quarterly data from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) showed that 98% of fishing events - meaning every time a commercial net, line or other device is put into the water - involved no interactions with a protected marine mammal or bird.
That's no small feat when your workplace is the wild and unpredictable ocean, but still, we know we can do even better.
Today (June 19) happens to be World Albatross Day - a timely reminder of the important role we all play in protecting these incredible seabirds.
Here in New Zealand's EEZ, the risks and impacts on seabirds from fisheries are well understood, and we have made real progress through the use of risk reduction programmes. But seabirds, including albatross, spend up to 40% of their time on the high seas - where the same level of protection isn't always in place.
The good news is that we already have proven solutions at hand. Measures like tori lines, night setting, and line weighting make a real difference in reducing seabird bycatch. By continuing to embrace these tools - and encouraging our international partners and high-seas fleets to do the same - we can all be part of the solution.
Wishing you and your whānau a relaxing and reflective Matariki.
