History of Fish Stocks in Queen Charlotte Sounds

When Captain Cook visited the Sounds in 1770, he estimated the Maori Population at no more than 200 souls. Because he never explored the inner Sounds, he had no knowledge of populated areas like the large catchments of Waikawa, Waitohi (Picton ), Ngakuta, Anakiwa and Tory Channel. Based on the archaeological sites that we have discovered in these areas it is fair to assume that the population at that time would have been more likely to have been between 600 and 1000.

Histories now being researched by Te Atiawa, (local Iwi ) reveal that following the Ropatu, (invasion ) by Te Raparaha and his allies in the 1820’s, and the hikoi (migration from the North Island) that followed , the population of Queen Charlotte and Port Underwood could have been between 2,000 and 5,000 people.

Because they had only small areas under cultivation, it is fair to assume that they existed almost entirely on what they could harvest from the sea. Just imagine what kind of stocks the Sounds must have had to support that size population ( No Supermarkets ! ). Over the past 5 to 10 years we have seen the seal population increase dramatically to between 60 and 100 (2002). The numbers have increased for two reasons: Free feeds around Salmon Farms, and the fact that the D,O C, have enforced their protection. This is significant, because up until then the fishermen and Sounds farmers shot them for sport and dog tucker “because they are eating OUR FISH !”

It can be assumed that with a high population of Maori living in the Sounds, the seal population would have been drastically reduced because they would have been on the top of the menu, as well as being sought after for their fur and skins.

The Fish stocks must have been amazing, and the Kiamoana! – Paua, Kinas, Scallops, mussels, pipis, cockles, and crayfish!

It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that the fish stocks took the big hit, and that was because of the advent of the motorised launch, (fishing boat). In 1904 Augustini Perano began netting the pilchards, herrings and mullet (they called them bloaters), in a 14 ft pulling, (row) boat. By 1908 they were using 30ft motorised launches. They started a cannery and were exporting them as Sardines. By the 1950’s they were pair trawling for them with 40 footers.

In the 1960’s the Harbour board used a suction dredge to suck the mud out of the Picton mudflat. It made a very good marina. No one bothered about the fact that it had been the traditional breeding ground of the bloaters. There is an entire eco system dependant upon the bloaters. They are what the dolphins come into the Sounds to feed on, also kingfish and kahawai. They also attract the seabirds – the Titi birds, (Fluttering Shearwaters), Gannets, shags and penguins.

In the 1840’s, the Te Atiawa chiefs sold the Sounds to the NZ Company, speculators, who in turn on sold the area to European immigrants. These guys cleared the magnificent Podocarp Forests that grew to the water’s edge. Within 50 years they had completely deforested the entire Sounds – an amazing feat, but not one that we are very proud of, because it had a dramatic effect on the Sounds geology.
( Didn’t impress the birds much, either.)

It caused erosion on a major scale. Clay and silt covered the entire ecology of the Intertidal Zone. This had a drastic effect on the ecology, especially the fish stocks. Sadly, we are still making the same mistakes today by allowing forestry companies to cut roads around the hill sides, the subsequent erosion having the same detrimental effects.

Many of the Sounds farmers used to supplement their livelihoods by part-time commercial fishing. They would fish for Blue Cod, Snapper, Terikihi, Groper, Moki, Butterfish and Warehou. Old timers often told stories, saying that they would have a competition on board over who could catch the first 100 fish on hand lines, catching 2 – 300 fish in one haul of a net, and catching groper in the inner Sounds.

Back in the 1940,s there would have been no more than 30 to 40 boats in the Queen Charlotte Sound. They were fishing boats and farmers boats. There were no such things as pleasure boats. Today, we count as many as 300 pleasure boats out on the Sound during the busy summer season. Most of them are having a dive or a fish. Most of them have fish finders and “flash” rods. The fish don’t stand a chance

Recent research shows that over a five year time frame in both Sounds Blue Cod numbers were reduced by more than 80% in the Inner Sounds, and by 50% in the Outer Sounds. That is close to total collapse. On a fishing trip now with 20 people on board, over 200 undersize cod are caught and released for every three legal size fish for the pot. We don’t pretend to know the answers, but it seems evident that we are past the point where catch limits and hook sizes are going to make any difference.

We need to have a new management structure put in place that will adequately protect the ecology, environment and our Sounds Culture. Guardians don’t believe that any one agency has the resources to manage the Sounds on their own, but integrate them, have representatives from each on a forum – Representatives from DOC, IWI, MOF, MDC, MOE, Residents’ Associations and communities. We would then have an Integrated Structure that would have the knowledge and resources to manage effectively.

This group needs to look seriously at drastic measures to protect and enhance the Marlborough Sounds fish stocks. We need “No Take” areas ( Marine Reserves). We also need Rahui: the right to close off designated areas, either seasonally or for whatever time frame that it takes for areas to recover. The commercial fishermen say that we should look at banning hook and line fishing and encourage the use of cod pots (interesting Idea).

The Fisherman’s Association have a voluntary ban on netting in the Sounds as a Code of Practice. Guardians would like to see a total ban on all netting. Recreational netting is a real worry because many people don’t know how to set properly, and these nets get carried away with the tide and end up ghost netting on the bottom.

Guardians would also like to see a ban on commercial Paua diving within the Sounds.

We would like to see a ban on commercial dredging. We are concerned that the dredges act like a set of harrows, ploughing up the seabed, destroying the ecology of the sea bed which leads to a break down of the food chain.

For hundreds of years the Sounds has provided for us. Many of us have derived our livelihoods from her, but we have gone too far. The time has come for us to put measures in place to protect her.