Category: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New rules to protect flat oysters from the disease-causing parasite Bonamia ostreae will apply to recreational fishers and boaties in some New Zealand waters from tomorrow, September 1.

Bonamia ostreae is in the Marlborough Sounds and Big Glory Bay at Rakiura, Stewart Island. It infects and eventually kills flat oysters (commonly known as Bluff oysters or tio). It is, however, not a food safety risk and fresh good quality Bluff oysters are safe to eat.

Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson says a new Controlled Area Notice (CAN), which comes into force from September 1, places conditions on movements of vessels and shellfish in the upper South Island, Big Glory Bay, the Chatham Islands and the lower South Island.

“This new CAN replaces existing legal controls on commercial operators in these areas.

“Now the rules apply to recreational fishers and boaties as well.

“In addition, the boundaries of some controlled areas have changed, and we encourage all boaties, fishers and vessel operators to be aware of these rules,” Mr Anderson says.

“The controls are there to protect our iconic Bluff oyster, which is highly valued, both commercially and culturally.”

Under the CAN, areas where Bonamia ostreae is known to be present are designated as contained zones, and areas that are free of Bonamia ostreae and where we know there are significant populations of flat oysters, are protected zones. The rules cover the movement of shellfish into and out of these zones, and fouling (visible sea life including shellfish, algae or weed) of boats and gear in these zones.

The contained zones are in the upper South Island and Big Glory Bay in Rakiura Stewart Island. The protected zones are the lower South Island and Chatham Islands.

The rules:

• Flat oysters must not be moved into or out of the Big Glory Bay contained zone.
• All shellfish or shellfish waste (including shells) collected in a contained zone cannot be put in the sea outside the zone.
• Vessels and gear must not be moved into or out of a contained zone unless they are visibly clear of fouling, unless a permit is obtained.
• Shellfish or shellfish waste from outside a protected zone must not be put in the sea inside the protected zone.
• Gear must not be moved into protected zones unless it is visibly free of fouling.

Mr Anderson says clubs, marinas, charter operators and local businesses in affected areas have been spoken to as part of raising awareness of the revised rules and what they need to do to prevent the spread of Bonamia ostreae.

“We’re putting up signage at boat ramps, ferry terminals, wharfs and huts, to tell people about the new rules and this is being reinforced with an advertising and social media campaign.

“If you boat or fish anywhere in New Zealand, it’s really important to keep your hull and gear clean.

“Remove any plant material or shellfish as it can spread the Bonamia ostreae parasite and other marine pests. A slight layer of slime and barnacles is okay – but nothing else,” Mr Anderson says.

“Pull weeds off any fishing, diving or other gear that you take out of the water and put it back in the sea where it came from before you move on.

“If you find something on your gear later, in a new location, do not put it in the sea. Place it in a plastic bag and put it in the rubbish back on land. You should also do the same with shells and other waste after eating shellfish.

“Diseased shellfish may look healthy – but even their empty shells can spread the parasite,” says Mr Anderson.

Details of the rules, including conditions that apply to marine farm operators and information on applying for special permits, can be found at Bonamia ostreae parasite threat to flat oysters.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

The daily limit for recreationally caught pāua will reduce to 5 of each pāua species per fisher to support the sustainability of stocks in the central and lower North Island.

The new rules take effect on 4 September 2023.

“Pāua are a popular species to catch for many New Zealanders, and are highly valued by Māori customary fishers, recreational fishers, and commercial fishers alike,” says Fisheries New Zealand’s director fisheries management, Emma Taylor.

Tangata whenua, including the Mai Paritu tae atu ki Turakirae Fisheries Forum which represents iwi and hapū from Gisborne to South Wairarapa raised concerns about the sustainability of pāua stocks. This view was also reflected in submissions from recreational fishers.

“Customary and recreational fishers have reported localised depletion, particularly in easily accessible areas which are expected to have higher levels of recreational fishing during the summer months,” said Emma Taylor.

“This echoes concerns from Taranaki hapū which led to a 2-year temporary ban for recreational and commercial pāua harvesting along the Taranaki coast in December 2022. This ban remains in place.”

Recent extreme weather events also play a part with increased sedimentation caused by Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle having likely impacted local pāua populations in some areas of the East Coast.

“The new measures take a precautionary approach to managing the fishery so that pāua can be enjoyed by future generations.

“Community feedback, along with the best available scientific information, contributes to determining sustainable catch settings. It highlights the importance of working together for the sustainability of these important shared fisheries,” said Emma Taylor.

Public consultation on the changes was undertaken as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s regular reviews in April 2023. Fisheries New Zealand received more than 60 submissions from a wide range of interests including strong support from tangata whenua, recreational fishers, and local communities to reduce daily limits.

Another upcoming change for the central and lower North Island pāua fishery is the setting of a total allowable catch (TAC) for the region for the first time. The TAC limits the amount of pāua allowed to be harvested to 192.188 tonnes from all sources, commercial, recreational, and customary.

More information on the consultation and the minister’s decision

To keep up to date with the recreational fishing rules download the free NZ Fishing Rules app 

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Have your say

Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is consulting on 2 proposals as part of the Maximising Forest Carbon Programme.

1. Creating a new forest type and default carbon tables for space-planted poplars and willows.
2. Updating the species the exotic hardwoods default carbon tables are based on and extending the upper limit for the tables from 35 to 45 years.

About this consultation

The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) was not designed to recognise the unique characteristics of space-planted forests. Space-planted poplars and willows are currently credited under the exotic hardwoods forest type. We need to consider how we can best accommodate these plantings.

The current exotic hardwoods tables are based on outdated data from a species that is no longer representative of exotic hardwoods grown in New Zealand. These tables only include carbon stock values to age 35, meaning tables will run out in 2024 for forests planted in 1990.

We are proposing improvements to the default carbon tables for exotic hardwoods in the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022, to reflect our better understanding of how carbon is stored. Consultation on these proposals opens on 29 August and closes on 24 October 2023.

These proposals are the first in a series of improvements to the default carbon tables under the Maximising Forest Carbon Programme.

A summary of the proposals is on this page and full details are in the consultation document.

Consultation document

Maximising Forest Carbon Programme: Recognising space-plantings and exotic hardwoods in the NZ ETS [PDF, 4 MB]

Summary of the proposals

The default carbon tables in the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 are used to calculate carbon storage by participants in the NZ ETS with less than 100 hectares of post-1989 forest land registered in the scheme or pre-1990 forest land.

We are proposing to create a new forest type and default carbon tables for space-planted poplars and willows (typically between 50 and 200 stems per hectare). Poplars and willows are often planted at wide spacings (space-planted) on farms for erosion control and stock shelter, and are also efficient at carbon storage.

We are also proposing to change the representative species for the exotic hardwoods tables from Eucalyptus nitens to Eucalyptus fastigata and extend the upper limit of the tables from 35 to 45 years.

The proposals apply to both post-1989 and pre-1990 forest land. The new tables would be ready to use in 2026 (the next mandatory emissions return period).

Making your submission

Send us your feedback on the proposals in the consultation document by 5pm on 24 October 2023.

We would prefer if you made a submission electronically – either by completing the online form or by email. However, we will also accept written submissions sent by post.

You are welcome to submit on the whole discussion paper, or you can choose the areas relevant to you. Provide supporting evidence with your submission where possible.

Online

Complete the online submission form – Alchemer

Email

If you are sending us a submission by email, we encourage you to use the submission template which has the same questions as the online form.

Submission form template [DOCX, 135 KB]

Post

If you prefer to make your submission in writing, send it to:

NZ ETS Carbon Tables Consultation
Operational Policy – Forest Incentives
Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

What to include in written submissions

Make sure you tell us in your submission:

• the title of the consultation document
• your name and title
• your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
• your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

A Canterbury meat business and its owners have been fined $84,500 for the illegal sale of  unregulated homekill meat through butcher shops.

Canterbury Homekill Services Limited (CHK), and owners Noel Womersley (51) and Halena Hitchcock (44) were sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on multiple charges under the Animal Products Act today.

New Zealand Food Safety took the prosecution because the meat had not been through the food safety system’s checks and balances to ensure it was safe.

“Consumers deserve and expect that the meat they buy has come from a legitimate supplier. This means any risks associated with the meat have been identified, managed, and checked to keep people safe,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

“The majority of food businesses go to significant effort and investment to ensure they keep their customers safe. When food businesses act outside these rules, we take action. There are health risks associated with eating unsafe meat, particularly for vulnerable communities and those with weakened immune systems, so it’s important they do the right thing.

While the company was allowed to process recreationally hunted animals for individuals, it was not permitted to sell the meat.

“The prosecution was the result of a careful investigation, begun in 2020, which found evidence the company was selling unregulated meat, including large quantities of venison through their two retail butcher shops. A close analysis of invoice records revealed discrepancies between the venison sold and purchased, meaning  unregulated meat was being sold.

“Mr Womersley is a keen recreational hunter and had a chiller at CHK where he stored meat from hunting trips. Staff at the butcher shop in Rangiora noticed homekill meat was being brought into the shop from CHK because it was vacuum packed and unlabelled with supplier branding or packaging. They reported that offal from CHK came into the butcher shop in large tubs, still with grass on it, was being cleaned and packaged for sale to the public.

“These meats were sold to the public through their retail butchery. Mr Womersley, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, should have known the sale of this meat was illegal,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Investigators also found evidence, through studying electronic records, of various other  unregulated meat sales, including beef, pork and goat that CHK illegally supplied to customers.

None of the meat was exported.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

A Wairoa man who poached crayfish that had a commercial value of nearly $300,000 has been jailed for 2 years and 2 and a half months.

John Nohotima (60) was today sentenced in the Wairoa District Court on one representative charge for the offending following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

He sold 4,664 recreationally-harvested crayfish to a black-market ring, and other people in his wider local community, for $68,690.

Other members of the black-market ring were sentenced in March to home detention and community work. Meanwhile, Mr Nohotima’s sister, Anne Nohotima (53) was sentenced to 100 hours community work in the Tauranga District Court today for her part in the crayfish poaching. She sold 210 crayfish that her brother poached. 

Members of black-market cray fish poaching ring sentenced to home detention, community work

Fisheries New Zealand regional fisheries compliance manager Jodie Cole says Mr Nohotima was the key to the poaching ring’s operation.

“Mr Nohotima used falsified customary permits to illegally harvest this crayfish with around 16 craypots, fishing from the waters near Mahia Peninsula. The crayfish was on-sold to the Kawerau based ring-leaders who distributed the crayfish throughout Auckland, Kawerau, Tauranga, Gisborne, Wairoa, Mahia and Napier.

“It was organised offending involving a number of people. The poaching ringleader, Martin Te Iwingaro Ernest Paul (49) who was earlier sentenced to 9 months home detention, would provide details of often fictious events to Mr Nohotima who would use these to obtain customary permits from Kaitiaki.

Mr Nohitima used different Kaitiaki to hide the number of crayfish he was harvesting. In all he gained 72 permits between 28 December and 21 July 2021, and he sold the crayfish between 1 September 2020 and 1 August 2021. 

“Local iwi and marae leaders had no knowledge or involvement in the offending and are also victims of this deception. Not all permits gained were for fictious events, however our evidence found the legitimate permits were also used to sell crayfish illegally. The commercial value of the crayfish taken was $298,517,” Jodie Cole says.

Mr Cole says a large amount of the stolen crayfish was sold by the poaching ring at a fraction of the legitimate market price.

“If you’re offered seafood at a price that appears too good to be true – assume it was probably harvested illegally. We’d advise not to buy it, and to let us know who offered it to you,” Jodie Cole says. 

Upon conviction, a range of equipment including cell phones, craypots, vehicles and a 6m fibreglass boat and trailer were forfeited to the Crown. 

“Poachers have no regard for the sustainability of our fisheries. We encourage anyone who has information about illegal fishing of any kind to report it through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 47 62 24).”

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting The Homegrown Juice Co in a recall of a specific batch of its Raw Kombucha Sparkling Ginger due to the possible presence of foreign matter.

“Due to an issue with bottling equipment, there may be some glass pieces inside bottles of Homegrown Juice Co Raw Kombucha Sparkling Ginger with a best before date of 17/08/24,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

The affected products are sold in a 350ml bottle at retail outlets and supermarkets nationwide.

Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for more information.

The Homegrown Juice Company brand Raw Kombucha Sparkling Ginger

If you have bought any of the affected product, do not consume it. It can be returned to the place of purchase for a refund. Should you be unable to do this, throw it out.

If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16.

New Zealand Food Safety has not received any notifications of associated injury. 

The products have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported.

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will be working with The Homegrown Juice Co to understand how the problem occurred and prevent its recurrence,” Mr Arbuckle said.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Have your say

Fisheries New Zealand has been requested to make an aquaculture decision on a proposed marine farm within the Coromandel Marine Farm Zone (CMFZ) located in the inner Hauraki Gulf. Fisheries New Zealand invites submissions from people whose customary, recreational, or commercial fishing may be affected by the proposed marine farm.

Consultation document

Marine farm application in CMFZ – background [PDF, 894 KB]

Related document

In making an aquaculture decision, Fisheries New Zealand assesses the effects of a proposed marine farm area on fishing through the undue adverse effects test (UAE test).

Information sheet on the undue adverse effects test on fishing [PDF, 243 KB]

Making your submission

The closing date for submissions is 5pm on 12 September 2023.

Email your submission to uae@mpi.govt.nz

While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

Aquaculture and Fisheries Permitting
Verification and Operations
Fisheries New Zealand
Private Bag 14
Nelson 704.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Farmers are being encouraged to have their say on a proposal to move the Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) eradication programme into a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) as the cross-sector effort moves to a new phase. 

M. bovis governance group independent chair Kelvan Smith says eradication partners – DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the Ministry for Primary Industries – are seeking farmers’ views on the NPMP. 

“All our evidence indicates we are in the tail end of the outbreak, meaning we are focused on building evidence that M. bovis is not present, rather than tracing risk events associated with active infection in our national herd,” says Mr Smith.

“With no active confirmed infection in New Zealand we have made good progress, but it hasn’t been easy getting here. The 3 partners recognise this and want to ensure that the ongoing activity causes minimal disruption to farmers.

OSPRI has been nominated as the management agency in the NPMP proposal.

“With natural synergies in running the M. bovis Programme alongside National Animal Identification & Tracing (NAIT) and the TBFree Programme, there is potential for up to $15m in savings across the 3 programmes.

“We all know how crucial the NAIT system is for the timely tracing of cattle that may have been in contact with infected cattle, and the programme can achieve efficiencies by aligning some aspects of M. bovis testing alongside TB testing.

“By combining resources and capability, it will allow the programme to continue to adapt to the work that remains ahead of us and help strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system,” says Mr Smith.

“The efforts and sacrifices of farmers cannot be overstated, and the improvements we’ve seen to on-farm biosecurity is heartening. Farmers have been significantly impacted by M. bovis but have also played a key role in the programme making the progress it has. We owe it to the wider sector to continue building on these successes.

“The current administrative model has worked well, providing the necessary support and resources to get us to where we are now. With the next few years focused on background surveillance, a different model, and some different capability, is required to ensure we are getting the best value for the taxpayer and farmer levy payers.”

While it is expected farmers and rural groups directly affected by M. bovis will notice very little difference under the proposed model, programme partners are seeking feedback on some key changes including:

• Establishment of a National Plan, with OSPRI appointed as the agency to administer the programme and manage disease to achieve eradication.
• Formalising disease control activities through a set of 15 rules to support the eradication objective.
• New reduced National Plan levy to finance the remainder of the programme.

“The NPMP is open for consultation today and we want to hear from New Zealanders to ensure we end up with a model that works for everyone, especially our farmers who are most impacted by M. bovis,” says Mr Smith.

“While there is currently no known active infection, it is possible more will be identified before we can declare the job is done and the proposal includes contingency arrangements for OSPRI to eradicate any small numbers of cases of infection subsequently identified in future.”

Feedback on the draft proposal is being sought from the public, especially from those who play an important part in the ongoing success of the eradication effort including farmers, meat and dairy processors, testing labs, and vets. All are invited to provide feedback during public consultation from 14 August to 25 September 2023.

“We believe our proposal will ensure the programme continues to adapt to the work that remains ahead and make the most of the significant gains made to-date. We look forward to reviewing the feedback from the consultation.”

Background information

More information including how to make a submission

M. bovis Programme numbers, 14 August 2023

• Active Confirmed Properties – 0
• Cleared Confirmed Properties – 280
• Notices of direction (NOD) applied to properties – 2,674
• Tests completed – 3,288,732
• Compensation – total paid – $256.2 million
• Compensation claims paid – 2,901

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

In an important step to protect babies from serious birth defects, all non-organic wheat flour for bread-making must be fortified with the B-vitamin folic acid from today.

“Folic acid fortification will quite literally save lives in New Zealand,” said New Zealand Food Safety deputy-director general Vincent Arbuckle. “Folic acid is proven to reduce the prevalence of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs), which can be life threatening for babies, or cause life-long disabilities.

“And as Māori and Pasifika babies have higher rates of NTDs, fortifying bread will particularly benefit these communities.”

NTDs are a group of birth defects in which the brain and spinal cord have not developed properly. NTDs can be life-threatening for unborn babies during pregnancy, and people who live with an NTD can have severe disabilities.

Folate is an essential B-vitamin that is needed for healthy growth and development, particularly for the healthy development of babies during early pregnancy. Folic acid is a synthetic version of folate.

“More than 80 countries, including Australia, the United States, and Canada, have safely introduced mandatory folic acid fortification with excellent results,” said Mr Arbuckle.

Manatū Hauroa/The Ministry of Health advises that folic acid tablets should be taken from four weeks prior to conception, and for 12 weeks after, to reduce the risk of NTDs. Fortifying bread with folic acid is an effective way of reducing NTDs, and can benefit people who have an unplanned pregnancy.

“Bakers here have been fortifying bread with folic acid under a voluntary scheme for about 10 years, and currently about 40% of the packaged bread in supermarkets is already fortified. Moving to mandatory fortification will result in greater public health benefits,” said Mr Arbuckle.

“In Australia and other countries, we’ve seen success in reducing NTDs following the introduction of mandatory folic acid fortification of bread-making flour. Australia introduced this in 2009, and NTD rates subsequently fell 14% in the general population, 55% in teenage pregnancies, and 74% in indigenous populations.”

Organic bread, bread or flour made from other grains, and wheat flour not specifically intended for bread-making (such as for biscuits, cakes, pastry, and pizzas) does not need to be fortified, providing a choice for consumers who don’t want to consume folic acid.

For more information email: NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Fisheries compliance officers from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, France, and the United States have detected nearly 40 alleged breaches of high seas rules during a major South Pacific patrol.

Called Operation Nasse, the fisheries patrol covered a vast area from the Tasman Sea eastwards to the south of the Cook Islands. It wrapped up last month after three weeks at sea and surveillance from the air, with the main aim being to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing throughout the South Pacific Ocean.

IUU fishing is estimated to cost the Pacific region millions of dollars in lost revenue each year.

“This operation was vital to our plan and vision to knock out all forms of illegal fishing, which seriously undermines sustainable fisheries management, threatens food security, and creates an unfair playing field for legitimate commercial fishers,” said Fisheries New Zealand’s Director of Fisheries Compliance, Steve Ham.

“Fisheries patrols of this level are a key initiative in detecting illegal fishing because, with eyes on the sea and from the sky, our Fishery Officers can legally gain full access to a vessel’s catch records and fish holds.

“Our international team boarded and inspected more than 20 vessels at sea, along with monitoring the movements of 120 other vessels during our air surveillance work. We found 38 alleged breaches – many of these were about non-compliant seabird mitigation gear being deployed.”

Other alleged offences found included incorrect flags being displayed, failure to provide vessel monitoring data, maritime pollution and poor handling of sharks and sting rays.

Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour says the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) worked closely with our international partners deploying vessels, aircraft, and trained personnel alongside Fishery Compliance Officers on various operations to detect and deter IUU fishing.

“This was the first time the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s new Poseidon P-8A aircraft had been deployed on Operation Nasse, with the crew providing valuable information on the activities of fishing vessels during their patrols,” he said.

“IUU fishing destroys livelihoods and the sustainability of fishing resources, and more broadly undermines regional security. It is critical that we continue to protect marine resources from those who believe the rules don’t apply to them.’’

Many of the rules are designed to protect not just fish stocks from exploitation but also seabirds and important marine animals, such as shark species and turtles.

Operation Nasse is an annual patrol and along with aircraft and vessels from the NZDF, the United States Coast Guard provided a C-130 aircraft, and Australia and France also provided sea patrol vessels.

“This year also saw Fiji participate for the first time in the international patrol,” said Mr Ham.

“Bringing Pacific Island nations into the forefront of these patrols to gain experience is something we want to continue. Pacific Island nations and their communities stand to lose economically because of illegal fishing on the high seas and we are behind them all the way in supporting frontline port inspections of fishing vessels.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries works closely with the relevant flag states, and we’ll be referring the 38 alleged breaches of high seas fishery rules to these states for urgent investigation.

“Historically, flag states have responded and taken action when their vessels have been found to have breached these laws with fines at the more serious end of offending at over USD$1million on one occasion for intentionally misreporting tuna,” Steve Ham says.