Commercial fishers landing exception: Pelagic sharks

About commercial fishing exceptions

Under the Fisheries Act 1996, commercial fishers are prohibited from returning or abandoning to the sea, or other waters, any fish or shellfish that are subject to the Quota Management System (QMS). However, the Act allows for exceptions to the rule.

Section 72A(2) of the Fisheries Act 1996 – NZ Legislation  

Have your say

Fisheries New Zealand is reviewing the current commercial landing exception for blue shark, mako shark and porbeagle shark (collectively referred to as 'pelagic sharks'), which allows commercial fishers to return near-dead or dead pelagic sharks to the sea.

Pelagic sharks ammoniate (show signs of spoiling) rapidly after death. Quick processing is needed to prevent cross contamination of other catch on board fishing vessels. Pelagic sharks are frequently bycaught, especially by relatively small surface longline vessels. Due to the size and strength of the species it is impractical for fishers to separate and manage catches of pelagic sharks before they damage other catch.

Fisheries New Zealand is proposing to continue providing for a landing exception so that commercial fishers can return pelagic sharks to the sea, whether alive or dead. Pelagic sharks returned under this exception would be required to be balanced with catching rights (annual catch entitlement) or incur deemed values.

We’d like your feedback on this proposal. Consultation opened on 29 January and we are accepting submissions until 5pm on 27 February 2026.

Consultation document

Commercial Landing Exception: Pelagic sharks [PDF, 442 KB]

Making your submission

Email your feedback by 5pm on 27 February 2026 to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

A template is available to help you complete your submission. It includes questions you may like to answer to help you with your submission and further space for any other feedback.

Submissions template [DOCX, 117 KB]

While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:

Fisheries management
Highly migratory species & pacific fisheries
Fisheries New Zealand
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

What to include

Make sure you tell us in your submission:

your name and title
your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation)
your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Commercial fishers landing exception: Pelagic sharks

Closing date

Contact

Email