Hauraki Gulf fishing practices must change to save endangered species, expert says

Thursday, 16 December 2021

The Hauraki Gulf - which lies between Auckland, the Coromandel peninsula and Great Barrier Island - is threatened by overfishing, climate change and a population boom. (Video first published in March 2018)

Fishing practices in the Hauraki Gulf are damaging fish stocks and putting endangered animals, such as the Bryde’s Whale at risk, experts say.

In late November, Auckland iwi Ngāti Pāoa had their calls for a rāhui to be placed around Waiheke Island officially recognised, but the fact they had to step in in the first place speaks to the wider issue LegaSea program lead Sam Woolford said.

The rāhui is needed to rebalance the health of the ecosystem – without which there won’t be any fish for recreational fishers to catch, he said.

Both recreational and commercial fishing practices have been named by experts as part of a wider problem.

“There is no silver bullet – putting our hopes into a handful of marine reserves is a really risky position to take.”

* Iwi and community concerned for unprotected species after 'immoral' haul of pink maomao

* Hauraki Gulf's marine protection areas expanded, but no action on dredging

The Hauraki Gulf is home to a small population of the endangered Brydes Whale

Commercial bottom dredging and the mass taking of snapper from recreational fishing are a few of the practices Woolford described as those that could be changed to have a profound effect on the health of the gulf.

The consequences of not doing so have already had an impact on species at the top of the food chain, such as the Bryde’s Whale, he said.

The rāhui will be placed around Waiheke Island for two years to give the kaimoana species time to regenerate.

“Why do the whales come to the Hauraki Gulf? Food. For all the food. If we take out those keystone species then everything is impacted,” he said.

Woolford suggested a review of the quota management system as a first step in creating better fishing practices.

The entire system needs a rethink, he said, not only with quantities but with fishing techniques, as commercial bottom trawling meant huge amounts of bait fish, a key part in the Bryde’s Whales diet, was brought out of the ocean as bycatch and sold cheaply.

He said some recreational fishing crews had done their research on how to leave little impact on the environment, but casual crews may not know what effect their gear has.

LegaSea’s program, Fish Care, talks about “suicide hooks” and “circle hooks” and how each requires a different technique to ensure the fish don’t swallow the hook – at which point there is no chance of releasing them without long-lasting damage to the animal.

“Suicide hooks” are the style many people would have grown up with, where you have to strike in order to set the hook. With a “circle hook” the angler reels in the line once the bait enters the fish’s mouth, sliding the hook into the corner of the fish’s jaw as they move.

Gannets dive for fish in the Hauraki Gulf.

Ngāti Pāoa has been concerned about the lack of kaimoana around Waiheke Island for many years. After a hui and discussion with the community, the iwi took matters into their own hands and lay down a rāhui in January. On December 1, the Government banned the harvesting of scallop, mussel, crayfish and pāua around the shores.

Giving the area a two-year break will help regenerate those struggling species, Ngāti Pāoa spokesperson Herearoha Skipper said, but the real benefit was giving them two years to set up a long term plan.

“People can no longer go out and gather the food they would have when they were kids. It was getting to the point where it [the ecosystem] would have collapsed,” she said.

The species couldn’t be expected to magically reappear in years to come, unless something changes, she said.

On top of the issues around fishing, there were also issues with sediment running into kaimoana beds, climate change and an increasing population in the country, which resulted in more mouths to feed.

Communication would be a key tool in helping summer travellers understand how they can do their part by respecting the rāhui and leaving the kaimoana beds alone, Skipper said.

She said they would work with businesses at hot spots to keep them informed, so that they could pass it on to visitors.

Recreational fishing is part of the social fabric of New Zealand, WWF western and central Pacific tuna programme manager Bubba Cook said, and it can be done ethically, but that requires change.

Cook recommended an easy-to-get, free licence, for recreational fishermen that would allow for better understanding of how many fishermen are out on the water – and therefore a better understanding of how many fish are being taken.

“How can you tell how much [fish] is coming out of the ocean? It does have an impact, but we don’t know the extent of that impact.”

Anytime you remove too much of an important species from an ecosystem, such as snapper or crayfish, the resulting impact either side of the food chain is major as the top half lose their food source and the bottom half have no predator to keep numbers in check.

WWF marine species manager Krista Van Der LInde previously told Stuff that declining fish stocks meant the Bryde’s Whale was having to change its diet to predominantly zooplankton – which have a lot of microplastics mixed up with them.

Work is being done, as part of the Whale Tales art trail project that starts in Auckland on January 22, to better inform the public about ways they can reduce their impact on the ocean and the endangered species within it.