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Review of sustainability measures – 2021 April round

Updates

26 March 2021 – Minister's decision

Following this consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has made decisions on sustainability measures for selected fishstocks as part of the April 2021 sustainability round.

We have released:

Stocks affected in this round

Decisions relating to Total Allowable Catches (TACs), non-commercial allowances, and Total Allowable Commercial Catches (TACCs) were made for 8 stocks with an April fishing year, and 6 stocks with an October fishing year.

April stocks

  • Giant spider crab (GSC 3, GSC 5 and GSC 6A)
  • Red rock lobster (CRA 1, CRA 3, CRA 4 and CRA 5)
  • Packhorse rock lobster (PHC 1)

October stocks

  • Blue cod (BCO 4)
  • Elephantfish (ELE 7)
  • Flatfish (FLA 2)
  • Dark ghost shark (GSH 1)
  • Giant stargazer (STA 1)
  • Yellow-eyed mullet (YEM 9)

A decision was also made to implement a year-round closure to recreational harvesting of shellfish in Cockle Bay/Tuwakamana.

Decision letter and advice papers

The minister's letter provides further details and reasons for each of the decisions.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries decision letter [PDF, 794 KB]

Final advice paper prepared by Fisheries New Zealand on the April 2021 sustainability measures [PDF, 3.1 MB]

Final advice paper prepared by the National Rock Lobster Management Group on rock lobster sustainability measures for 2021/22 [PDF, 3.9 MB]

Submissions received during this consultation 

Multi-stock submissions including rock lobster

Other rock lobster submissions

Cockle Bay submissions

All other submissions [PDF, 34 MB]

Summary table of the minister's decisions

Species

Stock (area)

Change

Decision summary

Giant spider crab

GSC 3
(South East Coast and Chatham Rise)

↑
  • Increase the TAC from 15 to 21 tonnes.
  • Increase the TACC from 14 to 19 tonnes.
  • Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 0 tonnes.
  • Increase the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 1 to 2 tonnes.

GSC 5
(Southland)

↑
  • Increase the TAC from 20 to 96 tonnes.
  • Increase the TACC from 19 to 86 tonnes.
  • Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 0 tonnes.
  • Increase the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 1 to 10 tonnes.

GSC 6A
(Southern Offshore Islands)

↑
  • Increase the TAC from 165 to 187 tonnes.
  • Increase the TACC from 148 to 170 tonnes.
  • Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 0 tonnes.
  • Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 17 tonnes.

Red rock lobster

CRA 1
(Northland)

-
  • Maintain the TAC at 203 tonnes.
  • Maintain the TACC at 110 tonnes
  • Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 20 and 32 tonnes, respectively.
  • Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 41 tonnes.

CRA 3
(Gisborne)

↓
  • Decrease the TAC from 351.9 to 302 tonnes.
  • Decrease the TACC from 222.9 to 195 tonnes.
  • Maintain the allowance for customary Māori fishing at 20 tonnes.
  • Decrease the allowance for recreational fishing from 20 to 12 tonnes.
  • Decrease the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 89 to 75 tonnes.

CRA 4
(Wellington/Hawke’s Bay)

↓
  • Decrease the TAC from 513.8 to 388 tonnes.
  • Decrease the TACC from 318.8 to 280 tonnes.
  • Maintain the allowance for customary Māori fishing at 35 tonnes.
  • Decrease the allowance for recreational fishing from 85 to 40 tonnes.
  • Decrease the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 75 to 33 tonnes.

CRA 5
(Canterbury/Marlborough)

-
  • Maintain the TAC at 514 tonnes.
  • Maintain the TACC at 350 tonnes.
  • Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 40 and 87 tonnes, respectively.
  • Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 37 tonnes.

Packhorse rock lobster

PHC 1
(New Zealand wide)

↑
  • Set the TAC at 79.3 tonnes.
  • Increase the TACC from 40.3 to 49.3 tonnes.
  • Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 10 and 15 tonnes, respectively.
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 5 tonnes.

Blue cod

BCO 4
(Chatham Islands)

-
  • Set the TAC at 829.339 tonnes.
  • Maintain the TACC at 759.339 tonnes.
  • Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 10 and 20 tonnes, respectively.
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 40 tonnes.

Elephantfish

ELE 7
(West Coast South Island, Top of the South.

-
  • Maintain the TAC at 127 tonnes.
  • Maintain the TACC at 102 tonnes.
  • Maintain the allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 5 and 10 tonnes, respectively.
  • Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 10 tonnes.

Flatfish

FLA 2
(East Cape, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Taranaki).

↓
  • Set the TAC at 178 tonnes.
  • Decrease the TACC from 726 to 150 tonnes.
  • Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing each at 10 tonnes,
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 8 tonnes.

Dark ghost shark

GSH 1
(East Coast of Northland and Auckland, Bay of Plenty).

↑
  • Set the TAC at 35 tonnes.
  • Increase the TACC from 22 to 30 tonnes.
  • Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing each at 1 tonne,
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 3 tonnes.

Giant stargazer

STA 1
(Waikato, East and West Coasts of Auckland and Northland, Bay of Plenty).

-
  • Set the TAC at 24 tonnes.
  • Maintain the TACC at 21 tonnes.
  • Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing each at 1 tonne,
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 1 tonne.

Yellow-eyed mullet

YEM 9
(Waikato, West Coast of Auckland and Northland)

↓
  • Decrease the TAC from 38 to 26 tonnes.
  • Decrease the TACC from 30 to 17 tonnes.
  • Maintain the allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing each at 4 tonnes,
  • Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 1 tonne.

Year-round closure to shellfish harvests in Cockle Bay/Tuwakamana

Revoke the existing seasonal closure to shellfish harvesting in Cockle Bay/Tuwakamana and replace it with a year-round closure to the recreational harvest of intertidal shellfish as a sustainability measure under s11 of the Act. This will take effect from 1 May 2021.

15 December 2020 – Proposed rock lobster sustainability measures released

The National Rock Lobster Management Group and Fisheries New Zealand welcomed feedback on proposed sustainability measures for rock lobster stocks.

Review of rock lobster sustainability measures for 2021-2022 [PDF, 2.8 MB]

A summary table of all sustainability proposals, including rock lobster

About this consultation

Fisheries New Zealand sought feedback from tangata whenua and stakeholders on:

  • proposed changes to the sustainability measures for several selected fish stocks or stock groupings
  • a proposed s11 closure of Cockle Bay/Tuwakamana to intertidal shellfish harvesting.

Submissions closed on 5 February 2021.   

What was proposed?

We review catch limits for selected stocks twice a year. This is consistent with the requirement that Fisheries New Zealand ensures the sustainable use of fisheries resources.

The proposals for each stock in this round were assessed:

  • in the context of the relevant statutory requirements
  • using the best available information, including the latest scientific information on the status of the stocks and tangata whenua and stakeholder input.

Full details were in the consultation documents.

Consultation documents

Summary table of the proposals

Table 1: Stocks proposed to have the total allowable catch (TAC) reviewed as part of the 1 April 2021 sustainability round.

Species

Area

Fishing year

Proposal

Rationale
Red rock lobster CRA 1, 3, 4 & 5 (Northland, Gisborne, Wellington / Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury / Marlborough April

↓

 To ensure the rock lobster stocks remain above sustainable levels, it is proposed that moderate decreases are applied to the TACs of these stocks. Recent stock assessment updates indicate that, if current catch levels are maintained, the CRA 3, 4 & 5 stocks will see small declines in abundance over the next four years, while the CRA 1 stock will increase slightly.
Packhorse rock lobster PHC 1 (All of New Zealand) April

↑

 PHC 1 is a developing fishery. New science suggests that abundance has been increasing in recent years and there is a utilisation opportunity. We are proposing to set a TAC and allowances for the first time, while also proposing a small increase to the TACC.
Giant spider crab GSC 3, 5 and 6A (Chatham Rise, South East Coast, Southland and Southern Offshore Islands) April

↑

 Giant spider crab in GSC 3, 5 and 6A are entirely taken as bycatch, mostly by large trawl vessels targeting squid. Observer data from the squid trawl fishery are strongly suggestive of an increase in giant spider abundance since the stocks were introduced to the QMS in 2004. This suggests an opportunity for the TACs and TACCs of these stocks to be sustainably increased.
Blue cod  BCO 4(Chatham Islands) October 

-

 		 It is a priority action of the National Blue Cod Strategy to set a TAC and allowances for this stock. No change is proposed to the current TACC set for this stock. 
Elephant fish  ELE 7(West Coast and Top of the South Island) October 

↑

 		 Based on current stock status and recent catch information Fisheries New Zealand is proposing modest increases to the TAC, allowance for other mortality to the stock caused by fishing, and the TACC for ELE 7. 
Flatfish  FLA 2(East Cape, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Taranaki) October 

↓

 		 The FLA 2 TACC has never been fully caught with catch historically well below the TACC. Information suggests that current catches are unlikely to be a risk to sustainability, but the sustainability of the TACC is unknown if catch were to increase to that level. This coupled with the fact that flatfish are typically found in harbours, estuaries and coastal waters where habitat degradation and pollution risks are of concern has prompted review of this stock. 
Giant stargazer  STA 1(Waikato, East and West Coasts of Auckland and Northland, Bay of Plenty) October 

↑

 		 STA 1 is a low knowledge stock. The increasing trend in commercial catch indicates that there may be an opportunity to provide for increased utilisation which is not inconsistent with the objective of maintaining the stock at or above a level that can sustain Maximum sustainable Yield (MSY). Accordingly, a small increase is proposed. 
Dark ghost shark  GSH 1(East Coast of Northland and Auckland, Bay of Plenty) October 

↑

 		 GSH 1 is a low knowledge stock, but best information available suggests there is room for increased utilisation. The TACC for GSH 1 was last reviewed in 2006, however no TAC, customary and recreational allowances, or other sources of fishing mortality have been set. 
Yellow-eyed mullet  YEM 9(Waikato, West Coast of Auckland and Northland) October 

↓

 		 Fisheries New Zealand is conducting a review of YEM 9, a low information stock, due to a potential sustainability concern with the current management settings. This concern arises from several factors: a consistent low level of catch in comparison to the TACC, known environmental degradation of some yellow-eyed mullet habitats, the potential for localised depletion in the Manukau Harbour, and recognition that yellow-eyed mullet play and important ecosystem role as a food source for seabirds, marine mammals, and other fishes. 

 

Table 2: Summary of proposed s11 closure of Cockle Bay/Tuwakamana to intertidal shellfish harvesting.   

Proposal

Rationale

Closure to the take of intertidal shellfish (Cockle Bay (Tuwakamana), Hauraki Gulf Coast of Eastern Auckland)

Recent results of the Northern North Island Intertidal Shellfish Survey suggest there is a potential sustainability risk to the cockle population at Cockle Bay (Tuwakamana) as the number of large cockles (≥30mm) has declined over recent surveys. The local community has also expressed concern about the current state of the beds. Closing the beach to intertidal shellfish harvesting would remove 1 anthropogenic pressure currently affecting the cockle population at Cockle Bay, alleviating the harvest pressure that could be affecting the ability of cockles to reach larger sizes.

If implemented, Fisheries New Zealand is proposing to review the closure after 3 years to determine whether the beach can be reopened for utilisation. The cockle beds would also continue to be surveyed periodically during the closure.

Legal overview

Our legal overview of sustainability measures provides the main legal requirements as they relate to decision-making on sustainability measures. It also references the relevant provisions in the Fisheries Act 1996.

Legal overview of sustainability measures [PDF, 288 KB]

Fisheries Act 1996 – NZ Legislation

Related information

Submissions are public information

Submissions made become public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make submissions available unless we have a good reason for withholding it. That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in any submissions you have made. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it. 

The National Rock Lobster Management Group

The National Rock Lobster Management Group is a national-level, multi-stakeholder group comprising representatives of tangata whenua, recreational and commercial fishing sectors, environmental organisations, and Fisheries New Zealand. Since its formation in 1992, the National Rock Lobster Management Group has acted as the primary adviser to previous ministers on catch limit, regulatory, and other management actions that apply specifically to rock lobster fisheries.

Current members of the National Rock Lobster Management Group are representatives of Te Waka a Māui Fisheries Forum, Te Ohu Kaimoana, NZ Sport Fishing Council, NZ Underwater Association, Forest and Bird NZ, Environmental and Conservation Organisations of NZ, NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council, and Fisheries New Zealand.

 

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