Commercial fishermen have tended to undersell themselves and their industry in the past, but a change in approach is being signalled by the ‘positivity' theme of the federation national conference being held in Tauranga.

'We are upskilling fishermen and doing everything in our power to get young people into the industry,” says Federation of Commercial Fishermen's president Doug Loader.

About 100 fishermen from Whangarei to Bluff are attending the conference that not only provides a chance to network, but to hear a lot about changes in the many facets of the industry, including the government view.

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley was the keynote speaker on Thursday.

And his speech was not all positive news for fishermen, says Doug.

His decision last month to extend the set net restrictions in the Hector's and Maui dolphin ranges will cost the jobs of between six and eight fishermen, says Doug.

'These fishermen are baring the brunt of the economic impact that the rest of the community should be sharing as well,” says Doug.
In his speech to the conference on Thursday, the minister says the prohibition on commercial fishing using set nets in the area between four and seven nautical miles from the shore on the WCNI is because the Maui dolphin population is about 111.
'Very low levels of mortality can have a significant impact,” says Phil.

'I considered that although the risk of mortality from fishing in the four to seven nautical mile area is low, it is not acceptable.
'On the other hand, given the type of fishing gear in use, the size of the area and the numbers of Hector's dolphins, there is an acceptable level of risk in terms of mortality from butterfish fishing by commercial fishers on the east coast of the South Island.

'It's enough to provide an exemption to the set net prohibition on the ECSI to allow commercial fishers targeting butterfish to use set nets in a defined area.”
A decision on whether to allow recreational set net fishing in the Hector's dolphin range may be made in August says Phil.
On another sea change facing New Zealand commercial fishing, Doug is more circumspect.
The government intends to re-merge the Ministry of Fisheries with Agriculture and Forestry on July 1.
'The fisheries sector is unique and requires unique attention,” says Phil.

'The new ministry will need to be conscious of that.”
While diary farming is about ‘privately owned cows' being farmed on ‘privately owned land', fishing involves ‘public fish' harvested in a ‘public space' known as the ocean, says Phil.
It means recreational and environmental group interest in fishing deserves particular and high level attention in fisheries management, more so than in farming, forestry or horticulture.
Phil anticipates that a proportion of the savings from the merger will be shared with the sectors and industries the new ministry works with, effectively reducing the cost to those who do business with it.

The merger is expected to deliver annual savings of $10 million a year from 2012/13.