Randall has researched and published articles on New Zealand’s management of fisheries, including the seafood industry and conflicts between the commercial and non-commercial fishing sectors. He also worked for the former Ministry of Fisheries (and the Ministry for Primary Industries) for 13 years. Before immigrating to New Zealand, he commercially fished in Alaska.
During his time at the Initiative, Randall was the Research Fellow for our fisheries project. This work involved a series of three reports that contribute to the debate on what needs to be fixed within the recreational fishing space.
Latest reports:
The Future Catch: Preserving Recreational Fisheries for the Next Generation (2017)
The Overseas Catch: The state of recreational fisheries management abroad (2017)
What's the Catch?: The state of recreational fisheries management in New Zealand (2016)
The Initiative's fisheries Research Fellow Dr Randall Bess spoke on TV1's Breakfast show about the latest report in our fisheries project, The Overseas Catch: The state of recreational fisheries management abroad.
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The latest report in our fisheries project, The Overseas Catch: The state of recreational fisheries management abroad, was released today. Report author, Dr Randall Bess, discussed how recreational fisheries are manged in the four locations he visited (British Columbia, the Gulf of Mexico, northern California and Western Australia) on Newstalk ZB. Read more
Unless recreational fisheries management changes, fishers will face a steady decline in daily bag limits, increases in minimum legal sizes, and shorter fishing seasons. The recreational fishing experience will worsen, as will conflicts between the recreational and commercial fishing sectors. Read more
Sir Douglas Myers, well known and respected for his business and philanthropic interests and recognised as such, died this last week at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer. Sir Douglas was also known for his lifelong passion for fishing. Read more
When it comes to fisheries, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Over the past year, the public has learned both MPI and its predecessor have failed to cope with problems of misreporting and illegal discarding of commercial catches. Read more
Einstein once said that we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. The thinking behind the management of New Zealand’s recreational fisheries is a case in point. Read more
Fisheries management in New Zealand has been resting on its laurels for too long. The Quota Management System was once world-leading. Read more
While in Fremantle, Western Australia, our Research Fellow, Dr Randall Bess, spent some time with John Harrison, CEO of the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council. With a background in both recreational and commercial fishing, Mr Harrison considers it is imperative that both sectors collaborate to find workable solutions to fisheries problems Read more
Our Research Fellow, Dr Randall Bess, spent some time with Andrew Cribb from the Western Australia Department of Fisheries. Mr Cribb is the architect of the new fisheries legislation that, amongst other things, includes the ability to reallocate catch levels between fishing sectors. Read more
While in Perth, Western Australia, our Research Fellow, Dr Randall Bess, was able to get on the water with Andrew Cribb from the Department of Fisheries. Even though the fishing wasn’t great that day, Hillarys Boat Harbour was impressive, as was the number of boats on the water. Read more
While in Victoria, British Columbia, our Research Fellow, Dr Randall Bess, visited Archipelago Marine Research, a world leader in at-sea and dockside observer programmes and electronic monitoring (EM) technology for commercial fisheries. Dr Bess met with Howard McElderry, Vice President, who provided this message for New Zealanders: Read more
Our Research Fellow, Dr Randall Bess, visited the Gulf of Mexico to see how charter boat operators using commercial red snapper quota provide great fishing experiences for recreational fishermen. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative is conducting research on the way fisheries are managed. This research will culminate in policy recommendations to help debate how best to improve New Zealanders’ recreational fishing experience. Read more
Pacific Halibut are a prized species in the North Pacific region. In recent years they have faced more stringent size and daily limits. Read more
While recently in northern California researching the management of recreational fisheries, I recalled the common phrase, “Size isn’t important, unless you’re a fisherman.” This phrase came to mind in relation to the red abalone fishery, which is the most common and largest of seven abalone species along the northern California coastline. What really stands out in this fishery is the recent breakthrough in the way it is being managed. Read more