| ial fishing in New Zealand has really only got | | | | grouper, hake, mackerel, pilchard, redfish (or ocean |
| underway since 1960. 1960! These little islands are | | | | perch) sardines, sea bass, shark, snapper, sturgeon |
| surrounded by a great mass of ocean, always have | | | | (and caviar) and whiting. This then is what commercial |
| been, and yet commercial fishing has only became a | | | | fishing in New Zealand must aim at. |
| growth industry in the last 50 years. Some things will | | | | The solution to harvest fish far from shore has been |
| never add up. | | | | to site factory ships in the fishing fields. These are |
| What are some of the possible reasons for this? The | | | | anchored while smaller ships go out trawling the area |
| weather? - yes, but then that's also always been | | | | and returning, ideally, whenever they have a full load. |
| around and other countries have coped. The lack of | | | | The factory ship speedily turns the fish into a |
| motivation with the population or the lack of | | | | commercially viable product. The head, guts and |
| Government driven incentives? - possibly. Yet the | | | | bones are all used too, being made into fish meal |
| Maoris were canoe builders. To what purpose did | | | | which has a high demand. When the factory ships |
| they do this? Surely one can count fishing activities | | | | holds are full, then she returns to the shore of the |
| as one incentive to their canoe building? So maybe | | | | country which owns her. |
| the New Zealand Government did not push the | | | | This whole processing operation requires a lot of |
| growth of the industry enough. | | | | capital and know-how to set up. New Zealand |
| To feed a growing population, the catch would need | | | | approached other nations to partner her in the |
| to be massive. One would need many, many canoes, | | | | start-up process in deep water trawling shortly after |
| each loaded to the hilt to make any dent in the | | | | the treaty was signed which enlarged her fishing |
| islands' food source. Also fish have a very short | | | | grounds. This then was the way forward from about |
| use-by date. This would mean an extremely efficient | | | | 1960. |
| transport system would need to be in place to move | | | | However, a documentary shown in July 2009 points |
| the fish inland and along the coast once they'd been | | | | out that New Zealand is now in a position to harvest |
| brought to shore. | | | | its own fish without the help of foreign trawlers. |
| Line fishing and using nets and spears would be | | | | More than half of all the fish caught are not |
| possible from a canoe, deep sea trawling on the | | | | processed in New Zealand, but in Thailand and China. |
| other hand, would not . New Zealand's coastline lends | | | | (If you type into Google search — 'Fishing in |
| itself to small fishing ports, so it would be feasible for | | | | New Zealand Documentary' — you will find |
| many small craft to work the coastal waters. In the | | | | more information.) |
| history of its development there were many small | | | | Local fisherman are affected to the point that if a |
| whaling stations along the coast which adequately | | | | quota is downsized, or falls into jeopardy of some |
| fulfilled the role they played. | | | | sort, it is local fishermen's quotas which are |
| However it was really the need to be able to source | | | | shortened and these reductions are given to the |
| fish from the bottom of the ocean, where catches | | | | factory ships so that their quotas are not curtailed. |
| would be large, that determined the growth of | | | | Only 55% of the vessels used today are those |
| commercial fishing in New Zealand. | | | | belonging to commercial fishermen of New Zealand, |
| Changes in world fishing regulations boosted New | | | | the rest are foreign owned. |
| Zealand's fishing ground to 4,400000 sq miles, making | | | | Hoki and Orange Roughy are the most fish important |
| it 4th largest in the world, (some say 6th) It has an | | | | catch in commercial fishing in New Zealand. The New |
| unusually wide continental shelf which means that the | | | | Zealand government is very particular about |
| ocean around them teems with fish of a multitude of | | | | managing and sustaining her fishing reserves. Roughly |
| varieties. | | | | 90% of her reserves are untouched year-by-year. |
| However, the world consumer market asks for: cod | | | | The Maori people today own a third share in the |
| and flatfish (these are flounder, halibut, plaice and | | | | commercial fishing trade. |
| sole), haddock herring and salmon, tuna, anchovies, | | | | |