Draft fisheries plans and proposed management targets for the Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty (CRA 2) and Wellington/Wairarapa (CRA 4) rock lobster fisheries

A management target is the amount of fish that we aim to maintain in a fishery. Generally it’s a measure of biomass, which is the volume of fish in the fishery. The management target influences the level of catch that can be taken from a fishery.

It is common to assess the status of the stock against the management target and make recommendations for management action depending on the results. If a stock is below the target, then Fisheries New Zealand may recommend management actions to decrease catch and move the stock back toward the target. Or if a stock is above the target, Fisheries New Zealand may recommend options to increase catch.

The CRA 2 (Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty) and CRA 4 (Wellington/Wairarapa) rock lobster fisheries are managed currently by default to the biomass that can provide for the maximum sustainable yield [see 'Footnote'] (shortened to BMSY). This means the target is set to allow for the largest amount of fish that can be taken each year without compromising the ability for the fishery to replenish. The Fisheries Act 1996 requires that the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries set catch limits that manage fisheries at or above BMSY. The BMSY target is theoretically sustainable for the rock lobster fishery, but it doesn’t consider the needs of tangata whenua and stakeholders for the fishery or the wider ecosystem.

Under the 2008 Harvest Strategy Standard for New Zealand fisheries, 40% of the unfished biomass is generally used to indicate BMSY. For CRA 2 and CRA 4, a BMSY reference point has been calculated using fully quantitative stock assessment models that account for the unique biological characteristics of each stock and risk constraints. The default targets also account for a portion of rock lobster populations that are protected from fishing by rules for recreational and commercial fishers.

As part of a decision for catch limits for the CRA 2 fishery for 1 April 2025, the minister set catch limits that were consistent with managing the CRA 2 fishery to an interim target of double the biomass associated with BMSY.

Footnote: Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is defined under the Fisheries Act 1996 as "the greatest yield that can be achieved over time while maintaining the stock’s productive capacity, having regard to the population dynamics of the stock and any environmental factors that influence the stock".

In short, these changes are about longer-term tools to manage the fishery.

Approving the draft fisheries plans and the management targets within would not directly affect the current catch limits or sustainability measures for either CRA 2 or CRA 4. Instead, this process is more likely to have a lasting influence on the decision processes for these fisheries in the future. 

If approved, the fisheries plans and the management target within would be one of a few mandatory considerations that the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries takes into account when making decisions for these stocks. The minister would have the discretion to make future decisions that are inconsistent with the fisheries plans if there is information to support that at the time.

The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is able to approve fisheries plan under section 11A of the Fisheries Act. These can relate to one or more stocks, fishing years, areas or any combination of those things. They may include fisheries management objectives, strategies to achieve those objectives, and performance criteria to measure the achievement of the objectives and strategies.

Fisheries Act 1996 (section 11A) – NZ Legislation

If approved, section 11A plans are taken into account by ministers when making decisions for those stocks, fishing years, or areas. This means the minister considers the content of the plan, alongside other relevant considerations, when making decisions. The plans can be amended over time to ensure they remain appropriate.

Examples of other fisheries plans include: National Inshore Finfish Plan and the Hauraki Gulf Plan. The proposed draft fisheries plans for CRA 2 and CRA 4 are slightly different from these other fisheries plans, as they would be specific to the management target and associated actions for these rock lobster fisheries.

National Inshore Finfish Fisheries Plan [PDF, 10 MB]

Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan [PDF, 14 MB]

A management threshold is another tool that can be used to inform fisheries management alongside a management target. A threshold sets a level that indicates biomass has fallen below the management target and that management action should be taken to prevent the stock from declining further. 

This is similar to the more commonly used soft and hard limits, except that a threshold may not recommend as severe a management action. Fisheries New Zealand is proposing to introduce thresholds for the CRA 2 and CRA 4 stocks, in addition to the existing soft and hard limits, because we consider it will help encourage more responsive management of these fisheries.