Anglers’ group sceptical of limit

A seasonal bag limit of two sea-run salmon per angler has been introduced in the central South Island and North Canterbury Fish & Game regions for the first time.

An angler advisory from the Central South Island Fish & Game Council, issued this week, said the bag limit, which had previously been proposed at the organisation’s salmon symposium in 2017, was introduced in order to address the declining salmon population.

‘‘The wild sea-run salmon fishery has been in decline for more than 20 years,’’ the advisory said. ‘‘Traditional regulatory options haven’t been working for Fish & Game, so new techniques were required.

‘‘The celebrated sea-run salmon fisheries of Canterbury and North Otago account for 90 per cent of all sea-run salmon caught in the South Island but now has less than 10 per cent of the numbers seen in the 1990s.’’

The advisory said that when an angler reached their limit, they would have to stop fishing salmon for the remainder of the season.

‘‘A season bag limit is new to New Zealand anglers but is a common fishery management tool around the world,’’ it said.

‘‘Modelling shows that it may be the single most effective regulation to ensure enough sea-run salmon reach the spawning grounds.’’

The advisory said angler catch surveys indicated that after spending up to three years at sea, between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of salmon returning to spawn in rivers would be caught by anglers.

‘‘It is estimated that a season limit bag of two will reduce angler catch by about 35 per cent and this immediately increases the number of fish that can spawn and sustain future generations of salmon.’’

New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association spokesman Paul Hodgson said he was sceptical about whether the limit would cause much improvement to the fishery.

‘‘Fish & Game has advised anglers that they are catching too many salmon and this is causing the decline of the fishery,’’ Hodgson said.

‘‘But angler salmon catch rates have remained reasonably consistent as a percentage of the run for each river over the last 30 years.’’

Hodgson said Fish & Game also advises anglers that ‘‘the decline of the salmon fishery is due to sea conditions’’.

‘‘If the decline of sea conditions is the root cause for the salmon decline, then the introduction of a season bag limit of two will change little.’’

Hodgson said no mention of the impact of ineffective fish screens on returning salmon numbers had been made by Fish & Game.