Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has called for feedback on new proposals to limit commercial set net fishing between Taieri Mouth and Hampden, in North Otago.
Fisheries New Zealand modelling estimated these prohibitions would reduce the bycatch risk for the entire northern population by about 75% and would not impact recreational or customary fishing.
Mr Jones also proposed implementing an escalating response framework of voluntary and, if required, regulatory measures, that would apply outside of the proposed commercial set net prohibition areas, to further drive a reduction in hoiho bycatch.
It would be underpinned by a regulated Fishing-Related Mortality Limit (FRML) which would be set at four hoiho captures per fishing year.
Dunedin commercial fishing business co-owner Nikki Anderson said if the proposals were implemented, it would have a financial impact on their family business, but she believed it was important for fishing companies to do their bit to help save the endangered species.
"As fishers, we recognise that we are part of the story, but the story is a bigger one that needs to be approached from all facets in order for everyone to be responsible for the preservation of this bird.
"We're happy to have restrictions put on us, provided that they're fair."
She said it was important to look at what was happening on land as many hoiho deaths occurred there, caused by disease, malnutrition and predation — particularly from dogs.
"We've got people walking their dogs on beaches that hoiho might be nesting on and there's just no accountability if dogs attack them.
"The number of dog attacks in the last five years have far outweighed the numbers of penguins being caught in set-nets.
"I think it needs to be a unified effort, for the benefit of this species that we all love, and we want to keep."
Mrs Anderson said her family’s business was making major efforts to avoid hoiho bycatch.
Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust programme manager Wenna Yeo welcomed the proposed changes which aimed to protect hoiho in their foraging zones at sea.
Dr Yeo agreed the species had a multitude of threats on land as well as sea but denied there was a major problem with dogs.
She said predation from dogs mainly affected Korora (little blue penguins).
She said the Department of Conservation was putting more effort into controlling the terrestrial threats.
"So our rangers for this season are seconded to Doc in supporting their terrestrial work, along with other community organisations like the Opera and Penguin Rescue.
"And diseases are still being researched and managed by the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital.
"So, we do recognise that there are myriad threats, but the one we don't have a handle on at the moment, is oceanic threats."
A recent Fisheries New Zealand spatial multi-threat risk assessment projected that without a 50% reduction in all sources of adult and juvenile hoiho mortality, the northern population of the species may dwindle to about 160 birds by 2045.
The study found the third largest cause of hoiho mortality in recent years was estimated to be commercial set net fishing (behind malnutrition and predation from both marine and terrestrial predators).
It also found the Otago Peninsula faced the highest overlap with human-related threats, including interactions with humans and their dogs, netting, oil spill risk and other threats.
Mr Jones said he shared the concerns of many New Zealanders about the future of the northern population of hoiho, and following public consultation, he would carefully consider what long-term protection measures were needed to reduce the risk to hoiho from fishing.
"I’m also mindful of the potential impact these proposals, if implemented, would have on commercial fishers in the area."
He encouraged people across a wide range of interests, including commercial, recreational and customary fishers, tangata whenua, environmental groups and the local community, to make submissions on the proposals.
Consultation on the proposals will close 5pm, December 12.
