E. coli found at the Waiho River in January appears to be linked to seepage near a controversial stopbank and the Franz Josef sewage ponds . West Coast.
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Time for some agility around changes to daily bag limits
If the number of applications for rahui being processed since the end of lockdown are anything to go by, the number of recreational fishers harvesting kaimoana is at an all-time high.
Because Fisheries New Zealand cannot reduce a recreational bag take without Cabinet sign-off, iwi and rununga have been taking matters into their own hands and applying for temporary closures to protect their customary take in the future.
These rahui, valid for two years, and granted under Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996, allow iwi to act quickly when fishing pressure is having a clear impact, however a quicker and more agile way of reducing the recreational bag limit must also be urgently addressed.