b'NewsWest Coast Snapper 8 DecisionGovernment sells out to commerical interests!B ack in earlyanglers from Kaitaia totrawlers (which previouswith no TAC increases October, theWellington all along thisGovernments had allowed)that snapper stocks Minister forlong stretch of the Tasmanthat went up and downstarted to improve.Oceans andare rightly outraged, withRipiro Beach in the 80s,In fact, it has worked, as Fisheries, Shanemyself included!I havewho were so close atthe snapper fishing now, Jones has given approvalfished off the west coastnight on a calm sea andwhether off boats or the for a 640 tonne increaseof Dargaville extensivelyworking under theirbeach with surfcasters or for the total allowablefrom the Hokianga to thelights, that you could heardrones/kontikis is the best commercial catch forKaipara over my life.Intheir voices from shore. I have ever experienced.snapper in the West Coastmy 50 years, it has takenWhen surfcasting in theI wouldnt hesitate to Snapper 8 area (whichthe last 30 years for the90s it was particularlystate that the west coast extends from North Capesnapper stocks to finallychallenging to catchsnapper fishery is now down the west coast toshow recovery from thesnapper from the beachthe best in Godzone Porirua, Wellington. It iscomplete commercialfrom years of over- for strong numbers the second largest snapperoverfishing of thetrawling, and it wasntand consistent size.fishery in the country.) 1970s and 1980s.I canuntil stocks were betterHowever, because of Many recreationalrecall the Japanese pairassessed in the 2000sthis healthy fishery the 10FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE'