Fisheries Closure Decision

In June, Fisheries New Zealand proposed to continue the current full closure of the SCA-7 scallop area (Marlborough Sounds, Tasman Bay, Golden Bay and Port Underwood) for the 2018/2019 season.

Fisheries NZ has decided to continue the closure, with no changes. You can see the FNZ media release here.

While many divers will be understandably disappointed, let’s hope this move helps the bed recover further, for the future.

NZUA Submission

The NZ Underwater Association supported a variation to the proposal, which would allow low impact, hand-gathering methods only, and suggested Fisheries NZ move the season open to 1 September, to align with most of New Zealand.

NZUA also provided suggestions for longer-term management of the Southern scallop fishery, including:

• increasing the minimum legal size for commercial and recreational harvested scallops;
• lowering the recreational daily bag limit from 50 to 20 per person;
• changing the width, ring size and design of commercial scallop dredges;
• and banning recreation scallop dredging.

Thumbnail photo credit: Tracey Bates

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