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Draft fisheries plan for the southern pāua fisheries (PAU 5)

Update – 10 July 2023

Fisheries plan for the southern pāua fisheries approved

The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has approved a commercial fisheries plan for the 3 southern pāua fisheries – PAU 5A (Fiordland), PAU 5B (Stewart Island), and Southland/Otago (PAU 5D) – under section 11A of the Fisheries Act 1996. 

The plan was developed by the PAU 5 Industry Association Incorporated (PauaMAC5) on behalf of all quota owners, ACE (annual catch entitlement) holders, and commercial harvesters.  It allows for a more responsive and localised management approach of these important shared pāua fisheries.

Fisheries New Zealand received 9 submissions during the consultation. Submitters were generally supportive of the plan.

The approved plan will operate under Fisheries New Zealand's existing management settings, within the constraints of the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) and adhering to the minimum legal-size limit (MLS). The plan formalises many of the voluntary measures already in place for each commercial fishery.

By approving the plan, the minister must take it into account before setting or varying any sustainability measure for each pāua fishery.

Fisheries plan for the pāua fisheries PAU 5A, Pau5B, and PAU 5D [PDF, 1 MB]

Consultation background

Fisheries New Zealand sought feedback on a draft fisheries plan for the 3 southern pāua fisheries:

  • Fiordland (PAU 5A)
  • Stewart Island (PAU 5B)
  • Southland/Otago (PAU 5D). 

The draft plan was developed by the PAU 5 Industry Association Incorporated (PauaMAC5) on behalf of all PAU 5 quota owners, ACE (annual catch entitlement) holders, and commercial harvesters. The draft plan was submitted to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries for approval.

Submissions closed on 11 October 2022.

What was proposed

Voluntary arrangements have been part of the pāua industry's management and decision-making in the PAU 5 fisheries for many years. The pāua industry seeks to make these arrangements more formal by developing an approved fisheries plan.

The draft plan set objectives, strategies, and actions that would be undertaken primarily by the pāua industry in addition to existing government management settings, which include total allowable commercial catch limits and current regulatory measures (such as the minimum legal size).

The draft objectives were to:

  • support and enhance sustainability of the pāua stocks
  • protect important pāua habitats
  • enhance industry performance.

Under section 11A of the Fisheries Act 1996, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries may approve a fisheries plan to support the purpose and principles of the Act.

Map of pāua fisheries 

A map of New Zealand. The boundaries of the 10 paua fishery areas are shown. The 3 PAU 5 areas are highlighted in blue. They cover about the bottom third of the South Island.
The locations of the PAU 5A, PAU 5B, and PAU 5D southern New Zealand pāua fisheries are highlighted in blue.

Consultation documents

Draft fisheries plan for the pāua fisheries PAU 5A, PAU 5B and PAU 5D [PDF, 1 MB]

Letter to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries [PDF, 128 KB] 

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

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