Recreational fishers to show economic worth

Recreational fishers are to put dollar figures on what the sector is worth in a bid to get more quota off commercial fishers. The New Zealand Marine Research Foundation is funding a study to show how much recreational fishing contributes to gross domestic product. Its spokesman Jeff Romeril says the commercial fisheries sector gets 94 percent of the allowable fisheries quota... while recreational fishers get just 6 percent. He says an estimated 900 thousand people go fishing in New Zealand each year - with a further 100 thousand international visitors also giving it a go - and more fish should be available to the recreational sector.