â€NZ Bluefin Tuna Fishing Quota Reached In One Dayâ€ff
25 April 2007
New Zealand A New Zealand fishing champion says the seasonal fishing quota for the offshore fishing of Pacific bluefin tuna is being reached in just one day.
Recreational fishermen from around the country have been heading to the Hokitika Trench, about 55 kilometers off the South Island West Coast, to target bluefin.
The current recreational quota for Pacific bluefin is set at 1 ton per year, but six-times spear fishing champion Darren Shields says that amount is being caught in a day.
However, the Ministry of Fisheries say it needs more than anecdotal information before it can change the allowance.
