Unfortunately, for reasons that do  not need to be discussed here, we have a marine kingfish farm in the north that has ceased operations and is now in the position of selling off its commercial kingfish stock in a hurry.

These fish come from the original NIWA wild brood stock which are in most cases less than eighteen months old  and range from a .5kg to 3kg with an average of 2kg,s per fish.

My  enquires to date have determined that these fish are disease-free and pose no  risk to the natural marine environment. I also understand that Mfish would give approval for the proposal I wish to present to you.

There is currently some 28 tonnes of live fish in the farm of which these fish if we can not find a better solution will be killed and packed and sold as cray bait.  Yes!! Bloody Cray Bait.........!!

Of the 28 tonnes, considering associated mortalities which can then be packed as mortalities for cray bait, there is some 20 plus tonnes available for the project I have in mind.  

Time is of the essence as the farm closes at the end of the month. In  saying this if we can secure a deal we may well get an extension of a short  time to distribute the fish. I will cross that obstacle when I get to the  first post.

My proposal is that we purchase these fish at a rate I have  negotiated and for a rough number say a $1 a kilo and release them into the wild on the northern coast as far south as the Coromandel coast this side of the BoP.

My reasoning for this is the water temp at the farm is currently 19 degrees and to move them further south of 16 degrees might cause an unacceptable high mortality rate. 2 degrees is a significant hit, but I am advised we can change this in a few days and on transfer.

There are many other considerations to take into account and I am talking with the  professionals in NIWA on this. They have expressed a willingness to assist and  be involved which is important for us and future research work.

Without  going into to much detail tonight and given this information only arrived this afternoon I wish to table the following proposition for your  consideration.

My proposal is that we purchase these fish at a fair  price as I have negotiated above and that we tag the fish both with hidden and  some or all with visual tags and then in a controlled manner in association  with NIWA and local Iwi we release these fish into the wild from the north as  far south as Coromandel. It is essential that the release sites are protected  and have an abundance of small bait fish to allow these fish to acclimatise  before they move further a field.

By participating in such a salvage  job will give us the recreational sector a chance to demonstrate a  responsibity to a fishery we command a major share in. It also gives us a  chance to gain media and public attention especially exposure for a sponsor  who might adopt this project. Unfortunately time is of the essence and we need  to react fast. The NZBGFC may have the funds available in their future  foundation fund and while I would like them to consider the proposal I am not  looking to put pressure on them as timing might not suit.

The fact of  the matter is we need a commitment of $30,000 which includes an amount for  transportation expenses only as I am mindful and hopeful of additional support  for the project research. The transporter I understand can only shift 500kgs  of live fish mass at a time which would be good to get a good coastal spread.  But it will take some time.

This will give us some 20 odd tonnes or some 15,000 live kingfish tagged and released into the wild. Note they are not fingerlings, but growing fish.

The project is a one off opportunity for  us and one supported by the Marine farm management, NIWA and this Council. I am sure that Mfish support will be achieved.

I suggest that at all  release sites that the local Iwi are consulted and given the opportunity to participate in this one off opportunity to enhance our wild kingfish stocks while providing an excellent research opportunity. A win win for all.

I apologise if this is proposal seems disjointed and rushed. Unfortunately we  have until the end of this week to secure a deal. Therefore I am seeking a  serious commitment from clubs and organisations very quickly. With this commitment I am sure that we can then motivate the media and create a suitable environment to ensure that either sponsors and the recreational sector are suitably acknowledged.

It is not hard to imagine what the results of  the tagging program would be worth as every fish caught is being a sponsored  fish.

We have the opportunity to do something good for the fishery here  and gain a bit of kudos in the eyes of the public.

Your thoughts and  donations on this matter will be appreciated.

Time is of the essence  

Regards

KEITH INGRAM
President of the NZ Recreational Fishing Council

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