Meet the Ministrys new Chief Executive - Ministry of Fisheries

TyPE OF WORK
aNTaRCTICa IS THE MOST FaR-FLUNg dESTINaTION aN MFISH OBSERVER WILL gO. daVE BILTON ENjOyS SOME TIME OFF THE BOaT IN THE ROSS SEa.
The role
of the
‘observer’
Being the eyes and ears on a
fishing boat is how Ministry of
Fisheries Observation officer,
David Bilton, sums up the role
of an ‘observer’. And he says
that means more than just
watching a fishing line drop
in the water while the sun
bounces off the deck.
Observers largely focus on three key areas:
• collecting scientific information on particular fish
• monitoring by-catch of protected species
• checking on compliance of fishing rules
Often, all three areas are covered, so that the time at sea is
utilised in the best possible way.
“This year, we have around fifty-five observers on the books,
spread amongst inshore, deepwater and international
fisheries.”
The last three years has seen more emphasis on inshore
fishing because it is an area identified as requiring more
information.
This includes addressing how protected species such as
Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins and yellow-eyed penguins, fare
during fishing operations.
The wider outlook of the annual observation programme for
2007/2008 otherwise focuses on gathering information on
some of New Zealand’s key fisheries such as orange roughy,
tuna, hoki and squid.
Ultimately, all of the above means the day-to-day role of an
observer often comes down to recording a lot of detailed data,
addressing the make-up of a particular fishery – weighing
them, measuring them, identifying their sex, etc.
The observer programme also sets aside days for key
purposes such as monitoring compliance issues or doing
targeted research for the Department of Conservation.
In addition, New Zealand vessels fishing in international
waters, must adhere to international agreements. In the
CCAMLR fishing zone, for example, (Commission for
the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources),
this involves 100% coverage for all New Zealand vessels
operating in the area.
It’s all information that MFish then utilises for stock analysis
of key species, the setting of Total Allowable Commercial
Catches (TACC) and monitoring wider impacts of fishing on
the environment.
VALUE OF ThE PROGRAMME
The observer programme is the only independent programme
of its kind – therefore the only programme providing an
impartial recording of facts and figures that relate to work
done at sea.
While other observer programmes do operate, they do so
privately and are generally set up by the fishing company to
ensure staff are complying with operational rules.
“We were recording a lot of
data standing in snow, wind
and rain, at minus 15 ˚ C for
up to six hours at a stretch.
you have to be prepared for
a range of conditions.”
APRIL 2008 TheBite 3