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Source: ONE News -
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World-first footage of orange roughy swimming at extreme depths near Chatham Rise could be worth millions of dollars to New Zealand's fishing industry.
Often frightened by human technology, it is difficult to capture images of the scaly swimmer.
"I believe this is the first time we've seen orange roughy at depths of 30, 50, even 70 metres above the sea bed," said voyage leader Richard O'Driscoll.
See the exclusive world-first orange roughy footage here
Orange roughy is big business, with last year's exports totalling $51 million. Scientists now hope the footage, taken at almost 900 metres below sea level, will help keep better track of fish numbers.
In the past, scientists have had to estimate the orange roughy population. However, the new footage will help fisheries officials make more accurate predictions about numbers, which will be important for setting fishing catch limits and quota.
The success of the experiment has been helped by a bit of Number 8 Wire-thinking, with six Sony cameras on moorings being dropped into the sea.
"All our cameras were actually just Sony Handycams, (the sort) that you can go to your camera shop and buy," said O'Driscoll.
