Download FAR 2025/48 Stock assessment of Chatham Rise ling in 2025

Ling are a commercially important fish species caught by bottom trawls, demersal longlines, and pots. Adult ling are found all around New Zealand and typically in depths of 100–800 m. This report updates a stock assessment for the Chatham Rise stock (LIN 3&4). The main assumptions of the assessment were the same as for previous assessments (carried out in 2019 and 2022). The final model runs gave estimates for the spawning stock biomass (unfished stock size) of 115 000 tonnes and stock status (stock size in 2025 compared to the unfished stock size) of 58%; these were similar to estimates from the previous two assessments. The stock was estimated to be above the target level of depletion (40%) and is predicted to remain so in the short term (five years) if catches are taken at or below the current catch limit.