Sustainable Fishing Management Statement of Intent
Introduction
This Sustainable Fishing Management Statement of Intent reflects Talley’s commitment to sustainable fishing for life. Talley’s recognises the importance of a healthy marine environment and the part the company plays in conserving it for life, which means:
- Maintaining healthy fish populations - catching what is needed now and ensuring plenty for the future.
- o Supporting healthy oceans – ensuring biodiversity and a rich marine ecosystem.
Purpose
To ensure Talley’s fishes sustainably, using practices that encourage healthy fish stocks and marine environments.
Application
This Statement of Intent applies to all Talley’s fishing operations, including boats owned by Talley’s and its contract boats.
Principles
- Comply with applicable international and New Zealand fisheries, environmental and safety conventions and regulations
- Respect Benthic Protection Areas and marine reserves
- Support and implement Seafood NZ’s Code of Conduct
- o We do not condone illegal behaviour
- o We will work with Government and other interested parties to develop and implement principled and practical policies to ensure the use of fisheries resources is sustainable
- o We will continue to actively minimise our impacts on the marine environment and encourage others to do so
- o We will continue to invest in science and innovation to enhance fisheries' resources and add value
- o We look after our people and treat them fairly
- o We will be accountable for delivering on this Code of Conduct and will support increased transparency.
Practises
Talley’s practises that enable its commitment to sustainable fisheries and marine environments include, but are not limited to;
- Robust induction processes for fishing staff and contractors about legal fishing areas and MPI reporting requirements, ensuring all clearly understand the employment or contractual consequences of non-compliance
- Qualified assessors visit all inshore contract boats each year to ensure Health & Safety and fishing practices on these boats meet requirements
- Captains, first mates, officers and supervisors on all Talley’s boats undertake compliance refresher training every 12-months
- The scientific research ability of Talley’s boats is utilised, providing relevant information from them for the public good, as required
- The following fisheries are MSC certified: skipjack tuna, hake, hoki, pink ling, southern blue whiting, orange roughy, toothfish, albacore tuna
- Source to plate tracking
- Manmade waste is safely incinerated on board, or brought to shore for recycling or proper disposal
- A coastal clean-up in New Zealand is undertaken bi-annually, as part of the Deepwater Group
- A bi-annual coastal clean-up of Stewart Island is sponsored and resourced
- Insights are contributed to regular Working Groups with NIWA, Fisheries NZ, MFAT, and other industry players.
The following legislation, regulations and standards are specific to fisheries management;
- New Zealand Fisheries Act 1996
- Fisheries (Commercial Fishing) Regulations 2001
- The NZ Quota Management System (NZQMS)
- The independent Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Gold standards
- The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL).
- Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards
- United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA)
- Relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)
- The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
- Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
- South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)