Science Centres: Fisheries

Photo Jack Fenaughty, Sanford Ltd.

NIWA scientists have provided the first fisheries assessment for an exploratory Antarctic fishery – and the first for Antarctic toothfish – in double-quick time.

The Commission for the Conservation of Marine Antarctic Living Resources (CCAMLR), which manages fisheries south of the Antarctic Convergence, has accepted NIWA’s assessment of the Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish fishery and endorsed NIWA’s CASAL modelling approach for use in other toothfish assessments. The work was funded by the Ministry of Fisheries.

CCAMLR commissioner Trevor Hughes, of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, says CCAMLR’s scientific committee had been struggling to come up with advice on catch limits for any exploratory fishery. ‘Some people were highly skeptical of arriving at an estimate within 10 years,’ but New Zealand ‘came to the rescue’ in just 18 months, says Mr Hughes.

Greg Johansson, who chairs New Zealand’s Industry Toothfish Committee, says that ‘the collaboration between the industry, the New Zealand government, and research providers (NIWA) has been excellent and has led to the Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish fishery being one of the best managed CCAMLR fisheries.’

The CASAL model estimated the initial Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish spawning stock at 69 000 t, with current biomass at roughly 61 000 t (about 2.3 million mature fish, or 8 million fish aged one year or more). As a result of NIWA’s scientific modelling, CCAMLR set a quota for the 2005–06 season of just under 3000 t. This equates to about 100 000 fish and a total wholesale value of NZ$50 million.