Download FAR 2024/48 A stock assessment of snapper in SNA 7 for 2024

The snapper catch from SNA 7 is predominantly taken by the inshore trawl fishery and the recreational line fishery in Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. Over the last decade, there has also been an increase in the snapper catch from the inshore trawl fishery operating off the west coast of the South Island.
The stock assessment for SNA 7 was updated and refined for 2024, incorporating the recent annual commercial and recreational catches, length and age compositions, commercial CPUE indices and Kaharoa trawl survey abundance indices.
The 2024 assessment reaffirmed the results of previous assessments. The large catches during the late 1970s and early 1980s reduced the snapper stock to a very low level and the stock remained at that level throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Since 2010, the snapper biomass has increased substantially following a period of strong recruitment. The current biomass level is well above the management target for the stock and the stock can support an increased level of catch over the next five years.