New Zealand’s recently formed seafood trade group is spreading the word about the sustainability and plentitude of its fisheries, including hoki, dory, and orange roughy.
Seafood New Zealand’s positive publicity on the country’s seafood stocks aims to boost consumption of New Zealand seafood around the globe and counter false allegations by NGOs, Tim Pankhurst, chief executive of the organization, told SeafoodSource. Seafood New Zealand officially launched 1 April to work on legislative issues and promotional programs for the country’s wild and farmed fisheries.
“We are a world trendsetter in setting a quota management system that protects the stocks. It’s a wonderful positive story…that is not fully understood. We still see statements to the effect that the number of fish in New Zealand waters are in decline. That is simply not true,” Pankhurst said.
“Of the stocks of known status in 2012, 83.2 percent were described as not overfished. These represented 96.6 percent by weight of the fish brought to shore,” said Pamela Mace, principal advisor for fisheries science at the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, in a recent editorial.
For example, the hoki fishery has realized six consecutive years of increasing stocks. As a result, the hoki quota had been increased from 90,000 tons in 2009 to the current 130,000 tons. “New information being analyzed shows that both [the eastern and western] stocks are continuing to grow even under the increased catch levels,” Mace said.
Orange roughy stocks — which had been significantly overfished a few years ago — are also on the rise. “Several [stocks] have rebuilt and two have been re-opened after several years of closure,” Mace said. In addition, a substantial new aggregation of orange roughy was discovered on the Chatham Rise, according to Mace.
Plus, research survey estimates for John Dory and gurnard off the West Coast were the highest recorded from 1992 to 2011.
In addition, three of New Zealand’s key fisheries — alcabcore tuna, southern blue whiting, and hoki — received Marine Stewardship Council certification earlier this year. “MSC is now looking at orange roughy and other species and they will get a similar stamp [of approval],” Pankhurst said.
To communicate the positive messages about the country’s fisheries, Seafood New Zealand will likely develop a New Zealand-specific eco-label and branding campaign in the future.
“What we need to do is add value to what we are producing now so New Zealand seafood is seen as an excellent product that commands a premium price. We want to be seen internationally as a best practice fishery,” Pankhurst said.
The organization has also established a “Fish of the Month” guide — on its web site and in print — that profiles a different species monthly and includes the state of the fishery and recipes utilizing the species.
