Records and monitoring

Fishers operate in the great unknown, but a surprising amount is known about what they do out there.

Records

Whenever they dock, fishers must report their catch on approved catch-effort forms. This information is cross-checked with other reports creating an audit trail from fishers, through processors, wholesalers and finally to the consumer at the point of sale.

Monitoring

The Ministry of Fisheries has a vessel monitoring system. Deepwater fishing vessels have to carry a satellite transponder unit that allows observers to track their location. Fishers can't wander too far astray without being noticed.

Economics

Vessels converge on specific fishing grounds because that's where the catch is best. Fishers also try to work in the most efficient way. For example, several innovations to reduce by-catch have been driven by industry. Fishers don't want to waste time sorting unmarketable fish from their catch.

But conservationists argue that some methods of fishing - such as bottom trawling to catch orange roughy and oreo - are irresponsible. Smaller fish might escape unharmed through the mesh of a trawl net, but species over a certain size are caught. Bottom-trawling can also damage coral and sponge forests on the ocean-bed.

Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society's Kevin Hackwell says that the amount of recorded by-catch increases when government observers are posted on fishing vessels. That's a point disputed by the Seafood Industry Council, but reported by the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment back in 1999. Recently the Fisheries Minister acknowledged there was good evidence that not all dolphin mortalities had been reported by fishers in the past.