The Supreme Court has ruled overfished stocks need to be rebuilt within a period that is based on the stock’s biology and environmental conditions, without regard to social, cultural and economic factors.
The case was a challenge by Forest & Bird to a 2019 decision by the Minister of Fisheries to double the period for rebuilding tarakihi stocks from 10 to 20 years.
Tarakihi stocks were at that time hovering at around 17 percent of their natural abundance, but the seafood industry was pushing for a longer recovery period.
Sally Gepp KC, who represented Forest & Bird, says the decision confirms that when a fishery is overfished, the length of time to rebuild depleted fish stocks must be based on science, not driven by economic interests.
If the science had been followed, the catch reduction would have been more than 60 percent.
