February 18, 2019
TOKM working off-camera to prevent by-catch
The Māori fisheries settlement trust says conservation groups don't have a monopoly of concern about the environment.
Forest and Bird has accused Te Ohu Kaimoana of trying to block the roll out of cameras on fishing boats, which it believes is needed to tackle problems like the by-catch of birds and marine mammals.
But Te Ohu chief executive Dion Tuuta says the trust supports the digital monitoring programme, but it was concerned the ministry planned to implement it without working through all the policy, technical and legal issues.
"Groups like Forest and Bird, they care about these issues, but it doesn't mean they have a monopoly on caring about the environment. Te Ohu Kaimoana is also concerned about these matters but we are also interested in coming up with solutions which stop the unintended capture of animals, not just watching it on a camera, and that's why we fund organisations like the Southern Seabirds Solutions Trust, which works with fishers to find ways to mitigate the negative effects of fishing on seabirds," he says.
Māori-owned seafood company Moana is voluntarily trialing cameras in key fisheries.
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