Download FAR 2024/35 intertidal shellfish monitoring in the northern North Island region, 2023–24

Cockles and pipi are edible shellfish that live in the sand on beaches around New Zealand. People like to dig them up and collect them for food, but if too many are taken, cockle and pipi populations will disappear. To help ensure that they remain, an annual study collects information of cockles and pipi at 12 different beaches across northern New Zealand. This information, such as counts and measurements of the cockles and pipi, can then be used to see if fishing activities need to be limited. This year, in the summer of 2023–24, the beaches were in Auckland (Umupuia Beach, Whangateau Harbour), Bay of Plenty (Bowentown Beach, Little Waihi Estuary), Northland (Mangawhai Harbour, Marsden Bank, Ngunguru Estuary, Ruakākā Estuary, Te Haumi Bay, Whangateau Harbour.), and Waikato (Raglan Harbour, Tairua Harbour, Te Mata and Waipatukahu). Depending on the beach, the number and sizes of cockles and pipi varied, but large individuals were generally scarce at all beaches. Average densities of cockles varied between 132 and over 1800 individuals per square metre; the densities of pipi ranged from 20 to over 5800 individuals per square metre. In Northland, there were large numbers of small pipi, indicating significant recruitment events. This recruitment caused considerable increases in the overall population estimates in this region.