DECEMBER 08'

It’s hard to believe that it is December already.  Where has the year gone?  We’re already two months into the quota year!

Don’t forget that the executive committee meets once a month, usually the last Friday of each month.  All members are welcome to attend.  If you want any issues discussed, please call or send an email regarding the matter.  We are endeavoring to keep our website updated on a regular basis, but as it is all new to us, it may be a little slow, but we are improving.

Darrin Fabricius is the first winner of our monthly photo competition, (well maybe it took four months, give or take a bit).  He will receive $50.00 of petrol vouchers.  Don’t forget to send in your photos.  We had an excellent photo taken by Alan Baird on his mobile but unfortunately it wouldn’t enlarge, as there were not enough mega pixels.  Gavin Perry had some photos that he and Kenneth had taken (a couple may be x-rated) and some older photos of boats/people in Leigh that were very nostalgic.  We may include them at a later date.  They certainly brought back some memories.

Runner-Up, Taken by Alan Baird

Southern Seabird Solutions Workshop
As mentioned in our newsletter, we had delegates attend the Southern Seabirds Solutions workshop in Nelson on the 10th and 11th of November.  Dave Kellian, Graeme Bailey, Brian Stanbridge and I attended.  The workshop was well worth attending.  Fishermen need to be there, as they are on the water and there is no value in the workshops or SSS if fishermen are not onboard and have input in decisions that affect them.  There were a number of fishermen that work for the big companies, that are told to attend, mainly representing the deep water off-shore fleet.  We were the only representatives of the smaller owner/operator inshore fleet.  Our fishermen told it like it is and didn’t back down especially when figures were presented that were incorrect. 

Brian presented a poem, anyone that knows Brian will understand about his love of poetry (actually he presented a few of them).  Unfortunately most in the room did not understand when Brian (being a tuna longliner) said “no to weights”.  But hopefully they all got it in the end.  For any of you that aren’t familiar with tuna surface longlining ( I was not  familiar before it was explained to me), there is a small lead weight that is on the tracer line, above the hook itself, that is to help the hook sink faster below the surface, to avoid catching seabirds.  Not referring to the integrated weights on the backbone.  But these weights are very dangerous to crew.  There has been one death and several injuries in NZ.  I know what I would choose, safety of crew is paramount.  We would all agree with Brian.  There has to be a better way.  And there may be with the development of the “Smart Hook” by Australian ex- tuna surface longliner Hans Jusseit.  This hook has a shield that protects the bait on the hook but dissolves in the water after about 5 minutes.  It is still being trialed but hopefully available more readily and at a reasonable cost in mid 2009.

Carlos Moreno of Chile reported that Chile now has a zero seabird by-catch that they have worked very hard to achieve.  Chilean fishermen were catching thousands of seabirds five years ago.  They developed the “Cachaloteras” which is a net device that slides over their lines while setting and the lines come up through them when picking up, enclosing the fish.  This device also stops orcas from taking the fish from the hooks.  Graeme Bailey was very interested.  John Reid and Graeme went to Gourock for a donation of net and rope and made one up right there and then.  Carlos scrutinized it and pointed out where they went wrong but it is a start and a possible solution to the orca problem for bluenose fishermen! 

John Bennett has been retrofitting the Antarctic Chiefton with a “longline setting tunnel”, allowing them to release baited hooks closer to the water’s surface.  They will continue trialing it in the Antarctic this year.

All in all, the workshop achieved a great deal and it was a great opportunity for fishermen to tell it like it is.  Now we will see who was listening!  Unfortunately “Forest and Bird” were not in attendance.  They may have been in for some education.  I suppose they are not really interested in the truth and getting their facts straight!

Turtle De-hooking Workshop
While we’re on the subject of “Saving” incidental by-catch, we might as well talk about turtles.  Yes I know most of you have never seen a turtle but at our recent workshop on Friday 28th Nov., many were surprised at the number of fishermen that had seen or caught a turtle either on the hook or tangled in their lines.  Johanna Pierre and Stephanie Rowe from the Aquatic and Threats Unit at DoC ran the workshop.  They were giving away turtle de-hooking kits for every boat represented.  Where some of the smaller boats will put the gear, I’m not sure??  Eventually we will have to tick the box to say that we don’t harm turtles in order to market our fish and it will become compulsory to carry the gear.  I imagine that when regulations come in, they won’t be giving away the gear, it will be an additional cost to the fishermen.  So you might as well attend a workshop and pick up your free gear, although I’m sure that our levies have paid for it anyway.  These kits cost over $2000.00, supposedly.  Apparently several years ago the whole Hawaiian tuna fleet was shut down because of turtle by-catch.  These kits were developed to allow the fishermen to get back to the business of fishing!  There is another workshop planned for up north, in February. 

Shark Finning Propaganda
Yes “Forest and Bird” are up to their old tricks.  A pledge form has been distributed to children at a school in Kaikoura, for them to sign saying they support a ban on shark finning in NZ.  Shame on you “Forest and Bird”.  Wayne McNee, CEO of Ministry of Fisheries has made a statement regarding this, saying that it is not particularly relevant to NZ fisheries, as it is illegal to take fins off live sharks in NZ. “Forrest and Bird” say they have evidence that live sharks are being finned.  Wayne McNee has challenged them to present their evidence without delay so it can be investigated!  Read attached statement and copy of the pledge form.

On the subject of Sharks
Ministry of Fisheries has proposed that the conversion factor for Dressed School Shark be altered from 1.95 to 2.15, in effect a quota reduction.   The NZFCF was attending the conversion factor working group meeting on 19 November.  They were protesting strongly against these changes as there has been little consultation or scientific support.  They want more involvement of the inshore sector.  Also GSH dressed is being reviewed as there is a difference in cuts being used by the deepwater fleet and the inshore fleet.

Questionnaires
Thanks to all of you that have returned the questionnaires from the newsletter.  Only about a third have been returned at this point.  Please keep them coming in.  We have included a copy of the questionnaire for any that may have missed it. To download the questionare CLICK HERE

We have thought that it may be a good idea to have a For Sale or Advertisement Page on the website.  So if any of you are interested let us know.  I often get enquiries from people wanting a job as crew on a fishing vessel.  It is probably easier to give me a call if you need crew than advertise on the webpages due to the time factors involved i.e. you need someone right away.  I can put you in contact with each other but we are not guaranteeing them, as usually it is just a name and details given, although occasionally a former skipper or owner may make a recommendation.

Old Times
Mark Aitken has found an old article that was done by the NZ Women’s Weekly about the fishermen of Leigh back in 1962. We have included it in the website. A bit of a curiosity as to why a women’s magazine was doing an article on fishermen, perhaps it was all those handsome, muscular fishermen. It is a very interesting read.  They talk about the life of a fisherman being a free and carefree life. A lifestyle choice. Hmm! Obviously things have changed. 

But as I got to thinking about it, I wondered if fundamentally, maybe some things haven’t really changed.  Fishermen have always been a special breed.  It is still a lifestyle choice, certainly no fisherman is in it to get rich, and in fact the majority are just scraping by. Yes, fishermen are weighed down with tons of regulations, boatloads of paperwork and red tape now and worry about where our future fishermen will come from.  But the fishermen out there on the water are where they want to be.  They love it.  Why else would they stay?  The freedom of being out on the water away from everything else ( Ministry of Fisheries, Maritime NZ, Safe Ship Management, OSH, DoC, Forest and Bird, IRD etc, to name a few), being their own boss, relying on their own knowledge, skills and intuition.  They are in charge out there and are part of a unique environment that others never have the privilege to see, never mind be part of it every working day.  Yes fishermen may sometimes moan about their lot in life, but fishermen surely must be some of the most optimistic people in the world.  If it was a poor catch today, tomorrow will be better; the weather will be better tomorrow, next week, next year; the money will be better; the price of fuel will be down; the sun will shine tomorrow; the boat will only be out of the water for a week for repairs and maintenance and it will only cost this much, but is usually three times longer and three times as much.  Yes, fishermen are very optimistic people!  Bless you, one and all!

The executive committee, wish you all a HAPPY and FESTIVE SEASON.

May the seas be calm and keep safe out there.

Until next year

Kind Regards and Best Wishes

Cindy

Dave McIntosh, your very able President recited this poem at our recent Christmas Dinner, but the sound wasn’t very good and many didn’t hear it.  I believe it has been in the Seafood Magazine previously as well.
It is from the book “SALT in their VEINS”, “300 years of fishing in Scotland”.  It reinforces the fact that fishermen are truly special people!

A FISHERMAN STOOD AT THE PEARLY GATES HIS FACE WAS LINED AND OLD.
HE STOOD BEFORE ST PETER THERE FOR ADMISSION TO THE FOLD.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, ST PETER SAID, TO GAIN ADMISSION HERE?
I WENT TO THE SEINE NET SIR 30-40 YEAR.
THE PEARLY GATES FLEW WIDE OPEN, ST PETER RANG THE BELL.
COME IN, HE SAID YOU STUPID BUGGER; YOU’VE HAD YOUR SHARE OF HELL.