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James Williams
Scallops have become a rare sight on the sea bed in Nelson and Marlborough, following a dramatic decline in the population over the past 15 years.
Nearly five years after commercial scallop fishing was shut down in the top of the south, there are still few signs of life in what was a once-thriving fishery. In Tasman Bay and Golden Bay the sites of the old commercial scallop beds are effectively barren, with negligible amounts of scallops compared to historical levels. While there have been some more promising signs in the Marlborough Sounds, even there the road to recovery is expected to be long and slow.
SunLive - Rāhui imposed on Coromandel scallop fishery sunlive.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunlive.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Opito Bay locals have joined forces to put a rāhui in place, banning scallop harvesting over summer.
The decline in scallop numbers and a lack of action from government, has prompted a small Coromandel town to put a rāhui on scallop harvesting over the summer period. In September eight organisations co-wrote a letter to David Parker, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, calling for the Government to take action on depleted scallop beds around the Coromandel Peninsula, and more particularly the eastern seaboard Opito and Kuaotunu Bays. This comes after an “onslaught of anecdotal evidence” from locals and experienced divers saying that the once abundant seabeds, which the area is known for, appear barren.
- Action to include a voluntary ban on all take of scallops over summer
The decline in scallop numbers on the eastern side of Coromandel Peninsula has prompted Opito Bay locals to join forces and initiate a programme to restore stocks of the delicacy, starting with a survey to establish how many scallops actually remain in the Bay.
The survey was officially launched at a ceremony this morning (Thursday 17 December) by NgÄti Hei.
The community is also supporting a voluntary ban on all take of scallops over the summer prior to NgÄti Hei putting a formal rÄhui in place.