By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - The Green Party is outraged that the Department of Conservation (DOC) is allowing commercial fishers to take eels, some which are threatened, from rivers on conservation land.

DOC has confirmed the party's claims today that it issued concessions allowing commercial operators to catch eels from rivers located in the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservancy.

Green Party Conservation spokesman Kevin Hague said it was outrageous that threatened native eels could be taken at all let alone within protected areas.

Three species of eel were affected: the native longfin and shortfin eel, and the Australian longfin eel, he said.

The native longfin eel was only found in New Zealand and was listed by DOC as a threatened species in gradual decline, the same level of threat as the great spotted kiwi, and while the native shortfin eel was not endangered there were concerns that females of the species have been overfished relative to males, he said.

"Allowing commercial fishing of these eels on the conservation estate is an appalling decision by the government department charged with protecting our most threatened species," Mr Hague said.

DOC Conservator Mike Slater confirmed three concessions lasting five years were granted to commercial eel fishers within the conservancy. The concessions, which cost $200 each, allow access to waterways that fishers can gather their quota from.

"The department administers the Conservation Act 1987, under this Act, if people want to conduct a commercial activity on public conservation land, they are required to hold a concession for the activity," he said.

A spokesman for Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said the right process had been followed before the concessions were issued. It was not out of the ordinary: "There is a lot of activity you can do on conservation land. You can certainly go hunting."

Mr Hague said the eels should not be allowed to be caught anywhere.

"DOC would never dream of allowing commercial hunters to kill great spotted kiwi or little blue penguins. Our native eels are just as threatened, so why is DOC treating them differently?"

A spokeswoman for Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley said under the Fisheries Act sustainable populations could be fished under the Quota Management System (QMS).

"When the scientists who annually record catch rate and size and things like that deem that is an unsustainable population then they either lower the quota or suspend it from the QMS. That hasn't happened so it is obviously still deemed by the fisheries scientists to be a viable fishery."