Cabinet cuts fishing quotas

CABINET has announced lower total allowable catches (TACs) for the new fishing season for horse mackerel and red crab after it was found that stocks had not bounced back as expected.

Only 230 000 tonnes of horse mackerel may be caught during the season from December 1 this year until December 31 2008 – some 70 000 tonnes lower than for the 2007 season, Cabinet announced yesterday. “In the previous season the fishing industry was allocated 300 000 tonnes, but they could not land the full quota because adult horse mackerel moved to 200-metres depth where there is a ban on fishing and also because fish had been smaller than usual,” the Cabinet briefing paper stated.The TAC for rock lobster was set at 350 tonnes because there has been no improvement in the overall biomass of lobster stock.”By the end of the 2006/07 season, less than 50 per cent of the TAC was caught,” Cabinet said.In the southern fishing area the new rock lobster season started on November 1 and will run until April 30 2008.For the central and northern coastal areas the season is shorter – from January 1 2008 until April 30 2008.For red crab, the TAC is set for 2 500 tonnes from January 2008 until December the same year.”In the previous season the fishing industry was allocated 300 000 tonnes, but they could not land the full quota because adult horse mackerel moved to 200-metres depth where there is a ban on fishing and also because fish had been smaller than usual,” the Cabinet briefing paper stated. The TAC for rock lobster was set at 350 tonnes because there has been no improvement in the overall biomass of lobster stock.”By the end of the 2006/07 season, less than 50 per cent of the TAC was caught,” Cabinet said.In the southern fishing area the new rock lobster season started on November 1 and will run until April 30 2008.For the central and northern coastal areas the season is shorter – from January 1 2008 until April 30 2008.For red crab, the TAC is set for 2 500 tonnes from January 2008 until December the same year.