Magnifying the voices of our small, independent fishermen
Doug Saunders-Loder
If you’re a small or medium fishing operation, when it comes to navigating the rapid developments in the industry, you need someone looking after your back. For many, that person has been President of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen Doug Saunders-Loder.
The Federation began in 1953 initially with a group of southern fishermen who banded together to advocate for the needs of owner-operated fishers just trying to make a living. Today, it’s a nationally recognised group and one-stop shop for 350 fishing business owners, skippers, crew and coastal communities around the country to have their say on everything from fisheries management and licensing to sustainability.
Doug has been president of the Federation since 2003.
At the heart of it, Doug says the Federation is about making sure fishers have the support and productive connections with the government and among stakeholder groups they need to keep doing what they love. “My passion is in ‘the people’. Those out there doing the job night and day and in all weathers and under constant pressures,” he says.
“It’s important for everyone to be included at the decision-making table – I’m here to make sure fishers’ successes are celebrated, their concerns are heard, and their stories are told.
“When everyone in the industry comes together, that’s our chance to have a positive impact on the future of fishing in Aotearoa.”
Doug is what the industry calls a ‘lifer’, recognised with a Seafood Star award for his long-standing service in 2016.
His decades-long career in New Zealand’s seafood industry began in 1981 as a rock lobster fisher off the Wairarapa coast – which he says was “a bit like the wild west in those early days”.
Working with lobsters may only have lasted 12 months, but after a move to Motueka and a short stint in horticulture, Doug returned to fishing in 1986 when he took up a role as Resource Manager at Talley’s Group Limited. He still holds this position, working with and supporting the 80 fishers and whānau of independently owned and operated in-shore vessels.
The Okarito inshore fishing vessel
“On behalf of the Federation, along with the entire Executive Committee, I am pleased to support Seafood Saturday, as it is all about celebrating the incredible work our fishers do and the high-quality, sustainable seafood they collect for us all to eat. Buying and eating local is a key way to support the producers in your community, and I couldn’t be prouder of our fishers and the hard yards they put in for the country.”
Federation membership is open to active fishermen, ITQ holders, permit holders, associations of fishermen, and others approved by the Executive Committee. Visit www.nzfishfed.co.nz for more information.