Download FAR 2025/51 Characterisation and CPUE analyses for the FLA 2 fishery to 2024, with species composition for all flatfish fishstocks

The FLA 2 Quota Management Area extends southwards from the central east coast of the North Island around to the Taranaki coast. The main flatfish fishery within this area has been in Hawke Bay, but there are smaller fisheries in Wellington Harbour, off the Kapiti coast, and in the north Taranaki Bight.

Flatfish stocks comprise a group of eight flatfish species. Recent changes in reporting regulations mean that comprehensive catch reporting for these individual species has been in place since late 2021. The distribution of the different species was examined at a countrywide level, as well as at a detailed level within the FLA 2 area.

The FLA 1 fishery is dominated by yellow-bellied flounder, while New Zealand sole and sand flounder are the main species caught in FLA 2, and lemon sole is the main species caught in FLA 3. FLA 7 currently has the most diverse catch composition, although sand flounder and New Zealand sole appeared to dominate the FLA 7 catch historically.

In FLA 2, monitoring of stock abundance previously used a combined flatfish catch-per-unit-effort-series from flatfish target bottom trawl fishing. However, a decline in flatfish target fishing required a re-evaluation of the monitoring approach.

Catch-per-unit-effort-series beginning in 2008 were adopted for combined flatfish, New Zealand sole, and sand flounder in Hawke Bay. These stocks were assessed as being as likely as not to be at or above the management target.