Global report praises NZ’s sustainable fisheries

A United Nations report ranking New Zealand's fisheries among the world's most sustainable is strong recognition of the sector's hard work, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.

"The report compared fisheries around the world and found the region including New Zealand's waters have the second highest levels of sustainable stocks in the world.

"New Zealand has a reputation around the world for high quality, sustainable kaimoana and, as this report shows, the reputation is richly deserved," Mr Jones says.

The review of the state of world marine fishery resourcesreport is produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to give an overview of the state of fisheries around the world.

The section of the report on the Southwest Pacific, including all of New Zealand and the Australian New South Wales coast, said 85.5 percent of fish stocks were considered sustainably fished.

"The report confirms what we already knew - that the quota management system (QMS) works well to keep our fisheries sustainable and continues to be the best framework for managing fisheries sustainably," Mr Jones says.

"It is a good validation of our approach and it didn't happen by accident. It is the result of generations of effort since the introduction of our quota management system in 1986. Fishers, scientists, kaitiaki, volunteers and regulators all work hard to keep our fisheries sustainable."

"While these results are incredibly positive, I believe that our fishery management system can be even better, which is why I have proposed changes to the Fisheries Act. These changes will build on what we are already doing well, and make our fishing industry more efficient and productive, to allow the sector to meet its potential."