Estimates of the non-commercial catch are important to improve the monitoring and sustainable management of fish stocks, especially for the main species caught. The Ministry of Fisheries has information from various surveys of amateur catch. Most of this is from fisher diary surveys and more recently aerial overflight surveys. Fisheries managers have asked for a more intensive survey of scallops and rock lobster in eastern Coromandel to improve the catch estimates obtained from the diary surveys.

Funded by the Ministry of Fisheries

Researchers Blue Water Marine Research

Davidson Kemp Ltd 

The survey

The area from Kennedy Bay to Hahei is likely to represent the largest recreational scallop harvest areas in the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty area (other scallop harvest areas are off Tairua and Tauranga). Similar to the commercial scallop fishery, the results of the Ministry of Fisheries national diary and telephone recreational fisher surveys showed that the eastern Coromandel area (Cape Colville – Waihi Bluffs zone) accounts for nearly 50% of the recreational scallop catch in the Coromandel fishery. From local knowledge, it is likely that most of the recreational catch reported from the Cape Colville – Waihi Bluffs zone is taken from the Mercury Islands – Whitianga area. The telephone / diary survey also showed that trailer boats (63%) and launches (22%) accounted for most of the Coromandel scallops recreational catch.

The survey method proposes to cover the main access points for boats between Port Jackson and Hot Water Beach. The survey will be conducted during the peak of the scallop season, 1 December 2007 to 28 February 2008 (90 days). 16 survey days have be selected at random from groups of two day types, mid-week days and weekend/holidays. The intent is to get a representation sample of days for each day type. The average catch for those days can then be multiplied up by all the days in each stratum. In order to convert the number of scallops and rock lobster caught into weights surveyors will measure all the rock lobster and a sample of the scallop catch.

The main boat ramps will be covered all day. Some access points are not usable at low tide and these will be covered when they can be used. During the peak holiday period many smaller access points are used and a roving survey will include these. A count of trailers parked at each boat ramp will be made at the start and finish of each session. The Whitianga Marina will also be included in the survey.

What you can do to help

Boat ramps can be difficult places to work when they are busy or if people are in a hurry. If you return to a boat ramp on a survey day and have not fished for scallops or rock lobster the interviewer will ask a few questions about what you did that trip. It will probably take 30 seconds.

If you have fished for scallops or rock lobster and you see an interviewer wearing a T-shirt with ‘Fisheries Harvest Survey’ printed on it we would like to record your catch and fishing effort. This is easiest once the boat is on the trailer to one side of the car park clear of the ramp (or once tied up in the marina). You will be asked a few questions about the method used and some of your catch will be measured. It should only take 5 minutes. We are not there to enforce the fisheries regulations but to record want is actually been taken from the water. If you have made a mistake measuring your catch then it is better to know about it so you can take more care next time.