October 07, 2013
New net means time for new boats
A revolutionary new net may be the trigger the New Zealand fishing industry needs to upgrade its aging fleet.
The precision fishing system unveiled at the Seafood New Zealand conference last week was developed by a consortium including Aotearoa Fisheries, Sealord, Sanfords and the Ministry for Primary Industry.
Sophisticated membranes allow smaller and juvenile fish to escape out the sides while the target catch can be landed on the deck live and in good condition.
Steve Tarrant, the general manager of Aotearoa Fisheries Inshore, says better quality fish means higher returns and more scope for reinvestment.
He says the average age of New Zealand vessels is over 40 years old, so the company is looking at how it can help its contract fishers make the shift.
"We’ve put together proposals and business plans to facilitate the renewal of our fishing fleet. All the designs associated with those renewals will definitely take into account the new technology that is there now which will mean that they are a different design than they are today," he says
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