By Samantha Hayes
New Zealand plans to increase its catch of the critically endangered southern blue fin tuna – even though the world quota is being cut by 20 percent.
More than 1400 submissions have been made against the move, with the deadline for submissions tonight.
But the Ministry of Fisheries says New Zealand has actually been catching far too little, for too long.
The fish are so highly prized, in Japan just one fish recently sold for a whopping $250,000.
One restaurant owner, Rocco’s Mark Wallbank, has banned the delicacy.
“I refuse to have it. It has been a popular item in the past, but for the last couple of years I haven’t had it on, due to the problem that has come from over-fishing,” he says.
Other Auckland restaurants 3 News spoke to say it is too hard to get hold of, and too expensive.
But stocks are dwindling globally, and while New Zealand lobbied hard fro the world’s quotas to be reduced by 20 percent, it plans to increase its catch by 27 percent – which equated to 232 tonnes.
“New Zealand is only responsible for five percent of the total catch of southern blue fin tuna, so the best thing we can do is try and influence the international agreements,” says Deputy Chief Executive of the Ministry of Fisheries, Gavin Lockwood.
In 1996 the southern blue fin tuna was listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Since then, stocks have decreased, and now only five percent of the original population remains around New Zealand and Australia.
Greenpeace is fighting the increase.
“This is the same sort of classification as Maui dolphin or kakapo,” says campaigner Karli Thomas.
“The fact they’re proposing to increase the catch is really unthinkable.”
Greenpeace say they want to see the $6 million business halted altogether.
The Minister will make a decision in the next month.
3 News