This campaign to stop fishing and selling kawakawa and donu during their breeding months from June to September must be taken seriously by fishermen and buyers and sellers alike.
It is intended to ensure these cods release their eggs each year and help revive the dwindling population.
It’s obvious that many are not pledging to help out as we continue to see kawakawa and donu being sold in just about every fish shop and market one visits during the breeding months.
In retaliation it’s great that the Ministry of Fisheries has taken the initiative to promulgate a new regulation to put a seasonal ban on the fishing and selling of these cods, come 2018.
The challenge, however, will be in the policing of the ban, especially along coastal settlements which are far from civilisation.
Kawakawa and donu are considered delicacies by coastal dwellers and it’s extremely challenging for the majority to release such a wholesome and sumptuous fish after it’s caught.
Unless and until the 4FJ campaign members aggressively educate the people throughout every village and settlement along our coastlines for some time to come, I’m afraid it’s going to be a losing battle.
