Who is catching what? A survey of fishing effort and success on Akaroa taiapure and Te Whaka a Te Wera mataitai management areas |
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Funding Body | University of Canterbury (Main grant: Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu) |
Total Contract Value | $116,878 |
Start Date | December 2007 |
End Date | June 2009 |
Principal Investigator |
Henrik Moller |
Staff Involved | Henrik Moller and temporary research assistants (Mykala Dyer, Julian Moller, Hireke Phillips-Zygadlo, Emma Shaw) |
A survey methodology was developed and trialled within the Akaroa Taiapure and Te Whaka a Te Wera Mataitai (Rakiura) in 2007/09 to allow Kaitiaki to measure (i) recreational and customary fishing activity, (ii) an index of fish stock levels, (iii) degree of compliance with fisheries regulations, (iv) awareness and effectiveness of local bylaws, and (v) a population profile (ethnicity, age, gender, residency and experience) of people fishing in the reserves.
The main measures measured included:
Once repeated at 3-5 year intervals the surveys can access trends in stock levels and user profiles to guide the kaitiaki on sustainability and the need or otherwise to intervene with local regulations and bylaws. At Akaroa, where the taiapure has just recently been established, the survey gives a baseline for later ‘Before-After’ comparisons to estimate the effectiveness of regulations.