Tag Archives: New Zealand
Commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Hauraki Gulf, 27 on board
A commercial fishing vessel has run aground at The Noises, in the Hauraki Gulf. The Harbourmaster has confirmed the incident happened just before 3:45am. There are no reports of injury. The Police Eagle helicopter was at the scene. “There are 27 crew on board, and they are all safe. The Harbourmaster’s team is onsite at the moment and two tugboats are on the way to remove the vessel. More to come, >>click to read<< 17:27
Search ceased for missing fisherman Jason Hollows in Hawke’s Bay
The search for missing fisherman Jason Hollows has been officially suspended 10 days after he went overboard off the coast of Hawke’s Bay. There has been an extensive search for Hollows, a 54-year-old fisherman from Otago, since he went overboard on Easter Monday (April 1) about 11km off Waimārama. He was reported missing about 8pm that night. He had been onboard a fishing boat the Pacific Challenger. more, >>click to read<< 10:51
Fisherman missing in water off Hawke’s Bay coast, colleagues join search
The colleagues of a fishing vessel crew member missing off the coast of Hawke’s Bay were on the water aiding search efforts more than 17 hours in. The man was reported overboard from a boat around 11km offshore of Waimārama, around 8pm on Easter Monday. Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre was running the search, which included rescue helicopter services from Auckland, Gisborne and Hastings, Coastguard Hawke’s Bay and other vessels in the area. Coastguard Hawke’s Bay president Henry van Tuel said the vessel from which the man had gone missing was the Pacific Challenger. more, >>click to read<< 06:48
Shane Jones reviewing rollout of cameras on commercial fishing boats
Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is reviewing the rollout of cameras on commercial fishing boats, saying he wants fisheries management to be “better, more focused and robust”. He said he wanted to know how it could be paid for and how the camera footage could be used as a way of enhancing management outcomes. “We don’t have government-mandated cameras in other people’s workplaces so I think we need to think very carefully as we progress down this path,” said Helson. Jones said it was important that the privacy dimensions of using camera footage are highly guarded. more, >>click to read<< 11:41
New Zealand: Rollout of cameras on fishing boats under review
The future roll-out of cameras on fishing boats is back on the table on Monday. Top fishing company executives and senior officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will meet to discuss challenges and future options for the programme. Labour brought in the regime to put cameras on commercial fishing vessels to improve under-reporting around bycatch of species like penguins, dolphins and seals. Cameras been installed on about 300 in-shore vessels already, but the future of the roll-out may be up in the air. more, >>click to read<< 09:12
Wreck catches fire during salvage mission
The curse of the F/V Austro Carina continues. On September 24 last year, the 25-metre-long, 150-tonne fishing trawler hit rocks, tearing a hole in the hull, near Shell Bay, on the south-eastern side of of Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū. Four crew members were winched to safety by helicopter as the vessel teetered on rocks, amid icy water, with cliffs looming above. On Tuesday of this week, the vessel’s bad run of luck continued, as it caught fire during the salvage operation. photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:44
The boat belonging to a fisherman who fell overboard off the Coromandel Peninsula has been found.
Will Fransen, the owner of Betty Gee, was rescued on January 3 after spending nearly 24 hours in the water without a lifejacket. The boat was missing until today, when it was found at the Raukokore River mouth, south of Waihau Bay on East Cape. “The 12 metre long vessel was located today off East Cape. ” Fransen said he was hooked in a gimbal fishing harness with safety rails on the port and starboard side, which “enclosed” him, however he wasn’t wearing a lifejacket or Personal Locator Beacon when he was yanked off the boat while attempting to reel in a marlin. photos, more, >>click to read<< 12:54
NZ Fishing Company Fined for Exposing Crewmembers to Asbestos
New Zealand’s largest deepwater fishing company has been slapped with a fine after being convicted with a charge Sealord pled guiltywhile working on-board the 50-year-old fishing vessel F/V Will Watch. Last August, Sealord pled guilty to failing to properly protect workers from the risk of harm from exposure to asbestos. In December, that charge resulted in the company being fined about US$196,000, a substantial penalty but less than the statutory maximum of US$983,000. more, >>click to read<< 11:54
New Year Honours: Lobster fishery, marine reserve are sources of pride for industry veteran
“Show me the data,” is the catchcry of Larnce Wichman. His more than 40 years in the Marlborough rock lobster industry convinced Wichman that what can be measured can also be managed. And as the chairperson of the Kaikōura Marine Guardians, he believes the principle applies equally to conservation. Wichman has been named an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours list for his services to the seafood industry and marine conservation. He recently retired as the executive officer of Cramac 5, which represents commercial lobster fishers on the South Island’s east coast. photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:31
Fisheries New Zealand Seeks Feedback on Proposed Catch Limits for 2024
Fisheries New Zealand is asking for feedback on proposed changeson proposed changes to catch limits and other settings across a range of Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries as part of its twice-yearly sustainability review. Every six months, Fisheries New Zealand reviews a range of fish stocks and develops proposals focused on their long-term sustainability. “When the information suggests more fish can be harvested sustainably, we look to increase catch limits,” said Marianne Lukkien, acting director of fisheries management. “On the other hand, if the information suggests a stock isn’t as healthy, we propose reducing the catch limits or other changes to help the fishery recover.” In this review, options include increases to catch allowances for six fish stocks where information suggests more fish can be sustainably harvested. more, >>click to read<< 18:36
Tākaka fisherman who illegally removed monitoring device fined $20k, loses boat
A fisherman who removed essential position monitoring equipment from his boat and then tried to hide it in a bag beneath the sea has been convicted in a case that is the first of its kind in the country. Tony Peter Phillipson has also had his boat forfeited after breaching rules designed to help monitor and protect New Zealand fisheries. Judge Tony Zohrab said in the Nelson District Court today that little of what Phillipson had done made any sense, but his explanation at the time “smelled like fish left in the hold for a couple of weeks” and was in the realm of “gross dishonesty”. more, >>click to read<< 07:15
Three Fijian fishermen found by NZ Air Force after missing for nine days at sea
They had not been heard from since and did not have locator beacons. Their sole communication was a mobile phone that was believed to have run out of battery, but they did have life jackets and flares. Local search efforts were hampered by poor weather, and the Rescue Coordination Centre Fiji asked for help. The Poseidon P-8A aircraft and crew were launched to assist on Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, they had located the fishers using radar and visual searches and contacted a nearby vessel to rescue them. Air component commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said it was a challenging search over a large area. >>click to read<< 09:19
It’s here – the future of commercial fishing
New trawling technology – billed as “the future of sustainable fishing” – has been unveiled to the New Zealand seafood industry at its annual conference in Auckland this afternoon. The system, which has been in development in this country for almost 10 years, uses a large, flexible PVC tube instead of a traditional mesh trawling net. New Zealand fishing companies Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and Sealord are investing $26 million into the commercialisation phase of the technology, called Precision Seafood Harvesting. The Government is matching industry investment and scientists from Plant & Food Research, a Crown Research Institute, are working with the three fishing firms to trial the system on commercial vessels. Photos, Video, >>click to read<< 07:33
Grounded Austro Carina boat leaks all its diesel into ocean at Red Bluff
Thousands of litres of diesel has leaked from a boat which ran aground on Banks Peninsula two weeks ago, says Canterbury Regional Council. Large swells had broken up the Austro Carina fishing boat at Red Bluff near Shell Bay. The council said 10,000 litres of diesel had slowly dispersed over the past week. It said up to 400 litres of hydraulic oil could also be leaking from the engine room, but crews could not reach it to check. Salvage teams had so far picked up 31 large bags of rubbish, debris and fish bins. Fishing nets had also been removed from the vessel, aside from some that were unable to be cut away from under the stern. The wreck had broken up significantly and had moved up the beach to the north. >>click to read<< 17:24
Grounded Austro Carina trawler at Banks Peninsula starting to break up, salvage could take months
The fishing boat that ran aground at Banks Peninsula carrying thousands of litres of diesel is breaking up, Canterbury Regional Council says. Heavy swells continue to make it difficult for crews to get to the Austro Carina, which ran aground near a marine reserve at Shell Bay’s Red Bluff on 24 September. The boat was carrying about 10,000 litres of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic oil. The council warned it could take months to salvage the wreck, with the necessary equipment unavailable in New Zealand. Wild weather that battered Banks Peninsula earlier this week ripped a hole in the boat. >>click to read<< 09:50
Shell Bay, Banks Peninsula oil spill: Plan to remove boat in the works
The 25m Austro Carina, owned and operated by Lyttelton-based Pegasus Fishing Ltd, ran aground near picturesque Shell Bay on the southeastern side of the Banks Peninsula on Sunday, September 24. The 140-150 tonne boat is currently still stuck with the gaping hole at the bottom of a 100-metre, potentially unstable cliff. The unfortunate position of the boat means it cannot be reached, according to the regional council, Environment Canterbury (ECan). “Access to the vessel by water has been heavily restricted by heavy seas, the rugged shoreline, and poor weather over the last week,” Emma Parr, Regional On-Scene Commander for the Harbourmaster’s Office, said. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:43
Owner of grounded trawler working on salvage plan
The owner of a fuel-laden fishing trawler that is grounded off Banks Peninsula is working on a salvage plan for the stricken boat and has promised to help manage the environmental impact of any spills. Four crew members had to be winched to safety by helicopter when the 25m Austro Carina ran aground at Red Bluff near Shell Bay last Sunday night, carrying 10,000L of diesel and 400L of hydraulic oil. The boat’s owner Pegasus Fishing said it was working with authorities on the best approach to salvage the trawler. “We are happy to confirm media reports that all our crew are safe and well, although they are still understandably shaken from the events of Sunday night,” the statement said. >>click to read<< 08:07
Deadliest Catch star visits Pictou to promote technology combatting ghost fishing gear
Any fisherman understands that keeping the waters clean will help ensure a viable future for the industry. “If you want a future, you have to invest in that future,” said Capt. Sig Hansen from Discovery Channel’s The Deadliest Catch. “So why not try to keep our oceans clean? That’s our responsibility.” Hansen has partnered with Resqunit (pronounced “rescue unit”), lending his star power to an endeavor they hope will assist in helping to protect the environment in which fishermen and women ply their trade. The Resqunit is a lost gear retrieval unit that can be attached to a line of traps, in case a fisher loses a buoy because of storms, accidents or by other means. It includes a user-controlled timer release that is set by using on an app on your phone. If needed, the unit will deploy after a set length of time, rise to the surface and allow fishers to retrieve their traps. >>click to read<< 14:04
Sealord convicted for endangering workers after asbestos found on fishing vessel Will Watch
A worker who found what he strongly suspected was asbestos on a fishing vessel has led to a conviction for seafood company Sealord on a charge linked to its failure to properly protect workers from harm. In 2021 the crew member was among several seconded to the 50-year-old fishing vessel Will Watch for a fishing trip in the southern Indian Ocean. He noticed a form of insulation in a locker room that he didn’t recognise and raised the alarm with the ship’s captain. Sealord did not believe there was any risk to the Will Watch crew from asbestos, believing it had been removed from the vessel before it arrived in New Zealand in the 1980s. >click to read< 13:36
Fisheries plan ignores anti-bottom trawling protest
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper says the new plan does nothing meaningful to address destruction of the seabed. “We see this plan as a missed opportunity to protect the ocean from the ravages of bottom trawling and truly transform commercial fishing in Aotearoa.” The draft plan, released in April, was blasted as ‘all carrot no stick’. Not so, says the Government. Announcing the final plan, Minister for Oceans Rachel Brooking said it struck a balance between looking after the ocean and making sure New Zealand had a sustainable seafood sector that can cope with the impacts of climate change. For example, the transformation plan looks at ways the industry can earn more and create more jobs without catching more fish, by utilising the whole catch in nutraceuticals and other novel uses. It also suggests the creation, incentivisation and adoption of new technology means restrictions on bottom trawling aren’t needed. >click to read< 18:17
Skipper in deep water again after Catlins sinking
A rogue Dunedin commercial fisherman who flouted maritime rules has, like his vessel, found himself in deep water. Wayne John Jolly, 58, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after admitting skippering a ship without appropriate documentation and was sentenced to 250 hours’ community work. The importance of complying with such protocols was resoundingly brought home to Jolly in March last year when his boat Aurora – a 15.6m wooden trawler built in Port Chalmers in 1958 – sank about a nautical mile off the coast of the Tautuku Peninsula, in the Catlins. Jolly’s history of non-compliance with maritime law stretched back 17 years. >click to read< 10:02
$20m deal for New Zealand seafood secured with a signed EU-NZ FTA
New Zealand seafood will gain $20 million in tariff reductions when the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union comes into force in the first quarter of 2024. The FTA was signed in Brussels on 9 July, slightly more than one year to the date that FTA negotiations concluded. The elimination of tariffs (a tax imposed on imported products) will considerably increase the earnings from New Zealand seafood exports, “New Zealand commercial fishers are stepping up to meet the demand and maintain our global reputation for high-quality, sustainable wild-caught fish. The impact of this deal will be felt across the sector, from the many small family-run fishing businesses to the larger companies that are major employers in our regions,” Dr Helson says. >click to read< 19:26
New Zealand: Fishing industry boasts of lowest carbon emissions – with caveats
“In 25 years at sea, I’ve seen quite a lot of changes,” Epiha says. “For example, they’re not shy at upgrading boats. Now we’re starting to see results from our fuel usage, fuel savings, reduced carbon footprint.” The 64-metre San Discovery, which he captains, is a deep-sea trawler that can produce fillets, headed and gutted fish, squid tubes, fishmeal and fish oil – all processed, packaged and labelled to export standards. “What I can hand-on-heart say is, we do care a lot about the environment,” he says. “It’s engrained in the way we operate, adjusting gear to make sure that it’s less drag on the bottom, easier to tow, because all that adds up to less fuel usage.” >click to read< 07:49
Greymouth fishing company Westfleet loses multi-million dollar trawler for coral weighing ‘less than half a pound of butter’
A deep sea fishing company has lost its multi-million dollar trawler to the Crown in a case described by a judge as a “cavalier approach to the whole area of compliance”. Greymouth-based Westfleet Fishing Limited was sentenced in the Nelson District Court today on a charge of breaching a condition of a high seas permit and a representative charge of failing to provide a Non-Fish Protected Species (NFPS) Report. Along with losing its trawler Westfleet was also convicted and fined $56,250. Former skipper Stephen John Smith was separately convicted and fined $7500 for contravening a condition of a high seas permit, while first mate Nicholas Taikato was convicted and fined $6000 on a representative charge of failing to provide an NFPS report. >click to read< 09:10
Fishing tech all set to net the catch of the day and nothing else
Dom Talijancich has every available sensor technology on board his 24-meter trawler, FV Mako. Everything but a camera and AI system that identifies what type of species are entering his net during a tow. If the technology were available, the Nelson fisherman and businessman would have got it immediately. But there was gap in the market for a piece of equipment like that, and it led him to developing his own company and the technology to do the job. Talijancich’s tech company Advanced Conservation Solutions (ACS) have tech that can improve the sustainability of commercial fishing using artificial intelligence (AI). >click to read< 08:53
Locally built addition to fishing fleet launched at Careys Bay
A Dunedin commercial fisher has launched his newest vessel, F/V Elodie, amid fanfare at Careys Bay. Damon Cooper has been fishing commercially for 30 years and added a third boat to his fleet on Saturday, with the boat launch. Otago Rock Lobster Industry Association executive officer Chanel Gardner said her husband, Mr Cooper, was committed to and very passionate about the fishing industry in Otago. The boat was built in Dunedin to contribute to the local fishing industry, she said. The boat will mainly fish rock lobster and blue cod and its more efficient systems would enable Mr Cooper to get the rock lobster to market in excellent shape. >click to read< 15:36
Boats likely stuck ‘in the middle of nowhere’ for several days after storm
A boat that broke free and ran aground during a storm that left thousands without power could take up to two weeks to salvage, a harbourmaster says. The storm that battered the South Island on Tuesday whipped boats from their moorings and caused some damage to the power networks managed by PowerNet in Southland, leaving hundreds of customers without power overnight. On Wednesday afternoon, a 14-metre-long private boat bearing the name Liane could be seen half-submerged in the mudflats of Pourakino River in the Jacobs River Estuary, in front of the Aparima Restaurant and Bar. He said it was one of two boats that sank as a result of the storm. Photos, >click to read< 08:52
Dredging for Bluff oyster gold in Foveaux Strait
Just before 2am on Wednesday, oyster boat Daphne Kay left its dock at South Port. The crew is five family members. Three brothers, a brother-in-law, and a son. Ricky Ryan is the skipper, with brothers Lynn, Jason, brother-in-law Karl and Ricky’s son Ethan making up the oystermen crew of five. Some of the brothers have been involved in oystering for 44 years. Ethan, trained to be a heat pump installer and worked in refrigeration, but returned to the boat and is now in his second season. He says he actually regrets not getting into the family business earlier. The Daphne Kay, one of the first to leave in the mornings of oyster season, heads out early, so the crew can work out of the sunlight. Photos, >click to read< 09:48
Tauranga skipper Bert Aitken retires after 43 years in fishing industry
After 43 years working at sea, commercial skipper Robert ‘Bert’ Aitken has “never” been seasick. Aitken has been working in the fishing industry for 43 years, spending the majority of that time at commercial seafood company Sanford. Wednesday was his last day. He started his career as an unqualified deckhand, eventually working his way up to become a skipper. For a typical fishing trip, Aitken would travel from Tauranga to Auckland on a Wednesday. The boat would then leave Thursday morning and not return until the following Wednesday. Everything needed to be organised beforehand, including checking the weather, making a plan on where to fish and getting ice and bins, he said. He and his two crew members, Matangaro “Mat”’ Ben and Mike Jones, would then head out. Aitken said they fished on the East Coast, anywhere between Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands and Cape Runaway. Photos, >click to read< 19:21