A $2m funding boost is set to turn the tide in Fiordland’s battle against the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida (Undaria).

Acting Conservation Minister Ayesha Verrall today announced the funding through the Jobs for Nature programme, which will see around 36 people employed in the wider Te Anau community over the next two years.

Partners of the Fiordland Undaria control programme, including Environment Southland, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Fiordland Marine Guardians have been trying to contain Undaria in Te Puaitaha Breaksea Sound for years, but it has become apparent that a refreshed approach requiring a significant financial investment was required for the response to be successful.

Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips said the announcement is great news for the region, heralding positive outcomes for the pristine waters and unique biodiversity of the Fiordland Marine Area, and Te Anau’s community.

“Businesses in Fiordland are hit particularly hard by the absence of international tourism due to Covid-19. This funding means we’ll be able to re-deploy tourism and dive operators in the area to supercharge the existing Undaria control programme.”

Members of the community will be able to apply for the roles and obtain scientific diver certificates, to enable them to dive for Undaria plants in a search-and-destroy mission.

Fiordland Marine Guardians chair Dr Rebecca McLeod said that although Undaria is now commonplace around much of New Zealand's coastline, the Guardians are not prepared to accept it as a feature of the underwater world in Fiordland.

“Fiordland is renowned for its stunning, colourful and fragile marine life. Without intensive effort such as that afforded by this funding, we fear that Undaria will smother iconic species like the black coral, thus changing the ecosystem forever.

“This fund will result in local people becoming skilled underwater biosecurity technicians, and in collaboration with local vessel operators and tourism companies, the community can come together to protect Fiordland from what was an inevitable ecological disaster."

The project aims to contain Undaria within Breaksea Sound, and completely eliminate it from Chalky Inlet.

The purpose of this survey is to help the Fiordland Marine Guardians build a broader picture of the experiences and concerns of those who fish in the Fiordland Marine Area (FMA).

We want to understand fishers’ concerns about fisheries sustainability, the current health of recreational fish stocks and overall fishing experience in the FMA as we develop recommendations to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries.

Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research is conducting this survey on behalf of the Guardians. It should take less than 15 minutes. Participation in the survey is voluntary. The results are anonymous.

We will consider the results from this survey alongside input from two focus group hui before making recommendations to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Hon. David Parker, in mid-2021. 

The survey results will also be made available via our website.

Complete the survey HERE

Complete our Fiordland Fisheries Sustainability survey this January

Over the past 18 months, the Fiordland Marine Guardians have put considerable effort into investigating fishers’ concerns about fisheries sustainability in the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area. Universal among these concerns is the decline of the overall fishing experience; the lack of good recreational fishing data to support effective management; and biosecurity threats due to pressure from climate change and increasing human interaction.

The black hole in recreational fishing data is, indeed, a major stumbling block to maintaining and improving the fishery for everyone to use and enjoy, including future generations. 

If you have the privilege to fish regularly in Fiordland, regardless of where, what, or how, your input is vital to building a shared understanding of the current health of key recreational fish stocks like blue cod/rawaru and hāpuku.  The Fiordland Marine Guardians also want to hear about your wider fishing experience in the Fiordland Marine Area.

Your opportunity to contribute to this important work is coming up next month via an on-line survey between 20 January and 10 February 2021.

We will consider these survey results alongside the outcomes from two focus groups (one for Amateur Charter Vessel operators and one for independent recreational fishers) and present their recommendations to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Hon. David Parker, in June 2021.

Off the back of our first workshop, Amateur Charter Vessel operators in Fiordland established a voluntary code of practice that aims to move fishing effort to the outer fiords and reduce fishing in the internal waters with the industry, promoting a culture of only ‘fishing for a feed’ to eat onboard. Our advice to the (then) Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Stuart Nash, about this sector, has led to a commitment by government to trial electronic reporting (and possibly position reporting) for ACVs. Operators from Fiordland will be invited to take part in a trial of the new system to ensure it is effective and easy to use.

How to Complete the Fiordland Fisheries Sustainability survey

Fiordland has always led the way with community-driven initiatives. We are committed to working collaboratively with you to give these fish stocks the protection they require over the next 20+ years.

If you receive e-mail updates and newsletter from the Fiordland Marine Guardians, you will be sent an electronic link to the survey on 20 January. The same applies if you hold a current Clean Vessel Pass for the FMA or are a member of Fish Mainland.

• Not on the FMG e-mail list? Contact info@fmg.org

• The link will also be available here and advertised in the February edition of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News.

Following consultation, the Minister of Fisheries has made decisions on blue cod regulations for both recreational and commercial fishing.

The minister has decided to:

• require a minimum mesh size on blue cod pots of 54mm for both commercial and recreational fishers
• apply a recreational minimum legal size of 33cm for blue cod in all areas, except BCO 1 (upper North Island) where the minimum legal size will remain at 30cm
• require recreational fishers to land blue cod in a measurable state (unless to be immediately eaten on the fishing vessel from which it was taken)
• apply a two-day accumulation limit for recreational blue cod fishers based on the daily bag limit set for all areas (except for the Fiordland Marine Area where the accumulation limit is 1 day)
• set the daily recreational bag limits for blue cod in areas of the South Island and the Chatham Islands according to a traffic light system.

Note: The traffic light system assigns a colour rating to different areas in the South Island and the Chatham Islands. The rating can be changed as available information suggests stock health is improving or declining. The following blue cod bag limits apply to the areas:

• green areas (healthy) are 15
• orange (rebuilding/declining) are 10
• red (in trouble) are 2.
• Note some fiords have their own limits

These measures will apply from 1 July 2020.

An overview map is available here

Stay up to date with fishing rules on the MPI website

The Minister for the Environment is seeking nominations for members of the Fiordland Marine Guardians (the Guardians).

The Guardians are an advisory group established by the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2005. They provide advice to Ministers, government departments, and Environment Southland on managing the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area.

The membership of the Guardians must reflect a balanced mix of knowledge and experience in the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area. At least five members must reside in the Otago or Southland regions.

Four positions are currently available to be filled.

Members of the Fiordland Marine Guardians should have the following skills:

·         A basic understanding of Te Titiri o Waitangi, Te Titiri based partnerships, and tikanga Māori

·         Knowledge of the Guardians ‘Vision’ and ‘Philosophy’ and ability to demonstrate behaviours aligned to these principles

·         Demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for the role and the Fiordland Marine Area (FMA) and the necessary time to contribute effectively to the work of the Guardians

·         Relevant (recent and ongoing) experience and knowledge of coastal Fiordland

·         Experience, knowledge, and perspective to complement those of the existing Guardians

·         Knowledge, experience and/or expertise in one or more aspects of the legislation and policy instruments relevant to managing  the FMA

·         Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others, including government agencies, industry, educational sectors, iwi-led organisations, and recreational and environmental groups

·         A wide network and confidence engaging effectively with others

·         Experience in governance and/or an understanding of what governance is and how this is applied through the Fiordland Marine Guardians/FMA model

·         Demonstrated behaviours that suggest they have high personal integrity.

·         Experience chairing meetings or in related leadership roles

Nominations (using this form), including a CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the position requirements, should be emailed to info@fmg.org.nz or posted to Fiordland Marine Guardians Nominations, Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143.

Nominations close 5.00pm 28 June 2020.