Which New Zealand Fishing Companies Fin Sharks?
NZSA contacted the below fishing companies and asked them if they fin sharks. Here's their responses:
* Shark finning is defined as catching a shark, killing it, removing its fins and dumping the body at sea
Note, where there are blank spaces NZSA is awaiting a response from the fishing company
NZSA contacted the below fishing companies and asked them if they fin sharks. Here's their responses:
| Fishing company / owner | Does your company fin sharks? * |
Does your company have a shark fin policy and support a ban on shark finning in NZ waters? |
| Sealord | NO | YES |
| Sanford |
YES | No comment |
| Talley’s Group Ltd | ||
| New Zealand Japan Tuna Company Ltd |
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| Tuna Fishing Company Limited |
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| New Zealand Longline Limited |
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| Tuna Quota Holdings Limited |
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| Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd |
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| Turner & McNab Ltd |
YES | NO |
| Robert Wayne Kusabs |
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| Johnathon Paul Mason |
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| Waikawa Fishing Co Ltd |
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| Altair Fishing Ltd |
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| Duart Quota Holdings Ltd |
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| B & G Holdings 2000 Ltd |
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| Jorgensons Marine Services Ltd |
* Shark finning is defined as catching a shark, killing it, removing its fins and dumping the body at sea
Note, where there are blank spaces NZSA is awaiting a response from the fishing company
Management in New Zealand
Over 70 different shark species are caught in the New Zealand commercial fisheries. All fisheries are managed under the Fisheries Act of 1996 and some are included in the Quota Management System. Additionally, certain species are protected under the Wildlife Act of 1953.
Sharks in New Zealand are managed in one of the following ways:
- The Quota Management System (QMS)
There are 11 species managed under the QMS. You can find out more about these species, the fisheries, and their catch quotas at the NZ Fisheries InfoSite (http://fs.fish.govt.nz/Page.aspx?pk=91) - Schedule 4C
These are species that may not be targeted and only taken as by-catch. The hammerhead shark and sharp nose seven gill shark are listed under Schedule 4C - Protected under the Wildlife Act
There are seven shark species protected in New Zealand, including the white pointer, basking shark, whale shark, oceanic whitetip, deepwater nurse shark, manta ray, and spinetail devil ray - Open Access
This includes all other species. Fishers must require a fishing permit before these species can be commercially caught, but there are no quota limits. - The NPOA
The National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks) was first developed by the NZ government in 2008. It follows the principles of the International Plan of Action (IPOA) which was created by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The main objective of the IPOA is "to ensure the conservation and management of sharks and their long-term sustainable use".
The NPOA has recently been reviewed and updated by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) with the assistance of a range of stakeholders, including the fishing industry and environmental NGOs. This updated version will become the primary management tool for sharks in NZ until it is reviewed again in 2018.
Public Submission
The NPOA-2013 will be released in September and will be subject to a public consultation period. This is your opportunity to review the document and voice your opinion. It is your only chance in the next five years to write a submission and tell the government how you want sharks in NZ to be managed and conserved.
There are two options. You can write your own submission, or you are welcome to use our handy submission guide. More details coming soon!
RESEARCH
Ongoing research is extremely important for understanding our shark species. We still know very little about the basic facts of many species, such as population size and breeding grounds.
Knowing our sharks is also important for making informed and responsible management decisions. Without this knowledge, we cannot measure and determine what kind of effect our activities may be having on sharks and their marine environments. It also makes it nearly impossible to set reasonable catch quotas that can guarantee a species' longterm survival.
Research programs encourage groups to work collaboratively, whether that be participating in tagging programs, implementing best practice methods or sharing information with neighbouring nations.
Check out some of the current shark research going on in NZ:
- Keep tabs on Carol the Mako Shark: here
- Follow these blue sharks as they travel the South Pacific Ocean: here
- Watch how scientists tag white sharks below:
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