Central area fishing rules

In the Central fishing area, there is a combined daily bag limit of 20 finfish* per fisher (excluding specified baitfish and freshwater eels).

This means you can have a combination of up to 20 of any finfish in total. For example, you could have 19 kahawai and 1 red cod, or 10 kahawai and 10 red cod. As long as you have no more than 20 in total.

There are also species with individual daily limits within the combined daily bag limit of 20 (Table 1). You must not exceed individual species limits. For example, there is a daily limit of 5 bluenose. This means you could have 5 bluenose and 15 kahawai.

In addition to the combined daily bag limit of 20, you can take a maximum of 50 of any combination of baitfish species (Table 3) and a maximum of 6 freshwater eels (Table 4). For example, you could take 10 kahawai, 10 red cod and 50 baitfish.

Remember, there may be other specific rules in some areas. For example, a harbour might have different size limits for certain species. Check the "Closed areas and special restrictions" section on this web page for more information.

* Finfish includes all species of finfish of the classes Agnatha, Chondrichthyes, and Osteichthyes, at any stage of their life history, whether living or dead

Table 1: Individual species daily limits within the combined bag limit

Table 2 - Further size limits for finfish within the combined bag limit

Table 3: Additional to combined bag limit

Table 4 – Additional to combined bag limit

Shellfish are considered "taken" (collected or harvested) when they cannot freely return to the water. For example, when you put them in a bag. When you're gathering or collecting, you can never possess more than your daily limit.

Remember, there may be other specific rules in some areas. For example, a harbour might have different size limits for certain species. Check the 'Closed areas and restrictions' section on this page for more information.

**Minimum size of ordinary pāua is 85mm within the Taranaki pāua fishery area.

* Dredge oyster, pāua, and scallops must be landed in the shell. They cannot be shucked or shelled seaward of the mean high watermark. However, you can shuck dredge oysters and scallops that you are going to eat while you're still at sea. These still count towards your daily catch/bag limit.

† Rock and Pacific oysters must not be opened while they're still attached to the object they're growing on (like if they're still stuck to a rock).

# Toheroa must not be taken, processed, or disturbed. This is always the case unless we declare an open season.

View the difference between toheroa and tuatua [PDF, 302 KB]  

+  Limited provision allows a diver on a vessel to gather extra bag limits of oysters and scallops for up to 2 other people acting in a dive safety capacity from that vessel. The safety people must be on-board the vessel, and acting in that capacity, when the diving is done. If only 1 safety person is on-board the vessel, only 1 extra bag limit may be taken. A maximum of 2 extra bag limits may be taken per vessel, regardless of the number of people diving.

• This is a combined, mixed-species bag limit. It applies to all shellfish species not specifically named above, and includes all crabs, limpets, starfish, periwinkles, whelks, barnacles and freshwater crayfish (koura).

This section has the rules for both:

• spiny rock lobster
• packhorse lobster.

Remember, there may be other specific rules in some areas. Check the "Closed areas and special restrictions" section on this page for more information.

Daily bag limits

Maximum of 6 rock lobster (both species combined) per day.

Bay of Plenty/Gisborne/Northern Hawke's Bay, from Cape Runaway to the Wairoa River mouth

A total of 3 spiny rock lobsters can be taken within the combined limit. Up to 3 spiny rock lobsters can be taken, and the remainder (up to 6 in total) can be packhorse rock lobster. If no spiny rock lobsters are taken at the same time, 6 packhorse lobsters can be taken.

[Between these 2 locations, the catch/bag limit is different. You can take a total of 3 spiny rock lobster and 3 packhorse rock lobster. If you do not take any spiny rock lobster, then you can take a total of 6 packhorse lobster.]

Rock lobster minimum sizes

If you are unsure of the sex, use the female (larger) measurement.

Learn how to measure rock lobster and identify the sex:

Rock lobster (crayfish): rules and guidelines

Other rules and protections

There are rules for gathering rock lobster/crayfish that cover:

• protected types
• banned gathering methods
• pot construction and use.

Protected types

Some types of rock lobster are protected. You must return them to the water straight away. Protected rock lobsters are:

• undersized rock lobster
• any female rock lobster carrying external eggs ("in berry") – these are carried on the underside of the tail
• any rock lobster in the soft shell stage
• any rock lobster that cannot be measured (for example, because of damage to the tail preventing accurate measurement). Specific exemptions for very large rock lobster with damaged tails mean you can keep:
  • Spiny rock lobsters that weigh 600g or more, or have a carapace (body) length of 110mm or more.
  • Packhorse rock lobsters that weigh 2kg or more, or have a tail length of 216mm or more.

Banned gathering methods

• You cannot possess rock lobster seaward of the high watermark in an unmeasurable state.
• No spring-loaded loops or lassos – hand operated only.
• No spears or puncturing devices – it is an offence to possess a speared rock lobster.
• Do not remove external eggs from any rock lobster.
• No baited nets.
• Maximum of 3 rock lobster pots per fisher.
• Maximum of 6 rock lobster pots from a vessel for 2 or more fishers.

Find out about rock lobster pot construction and use

Telson (tail fan) clipping for rock lobsters from Cape Runaway to East Cape Lighthouse

In eastern Bay of Plenty (from Cape Runaway to East Cape Lighthouse), telson clipping is required for all spiny rock lobsters that you take.

The last third of the telson (central part of the tail fan) must be cut off so that it is noticeably shorter than the other sections of the tail fan.

Labelled diagram of a telson-clipped lobster [PDF, 551 KB]

Do not telson clip any packhorse rock lobsters.

For more details check the:

• rules brochure [PDF, 1.5 MB]
• the free NZ Fishing Rules app – Apple or Android
• rock lobster/crayfish methods page.

Video: Telson clipping your crayfish (2.25)

The lists below show areas where:

• fishing is not allowed (closed areas)
• size limits and catch limits might be different (special restrictions).

There's more information in the rules brochure and NZ Fishing Rules app.

Closed areas

You can't fish in these areas. This includes Marine Reserves.

• Kāpiti Marine Reserve (Eastern and Western)
• Tapuae Marine Reserve
• Taputeranga Marine Reserve
• Te Angiangi Marine Reserve
• Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve
• Parininihi Marine Reserve

Marine reserves are managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

A to Z of marine reserves – DOC

Restricted areas

In the following areas, there are specific rules or restrictions. These might be for size limits, catch/bag limits, or fishing methods (like no set netting). Check the location and the rule.

Pukerua Bay restrictions

Closed to all fishing and seafood gathering other than by handheld lines.

GPS co-ordinates

A: 41°01.84'S, 174°52.26'E
B: 41°01.68'S, 174°52.26'E
C: 41°00.94'S, 174°54.96'E

Google Maps co-ordinates

A: 41.0306S,174.871E
B: 41.028S,174.871E
C: 41.0157S,174.916E

Set netting restrictions

Net restrictions extend around Taranaki from Pariokariwa Point south to Hawera, then from Pariokariwa Point south to the Waiwhakaiho River between 2 and 7 nautical miles offshore. The closure out to 7 nautical miles extends north to Maunganui Bluff. Restrictions also extend for 4 nautical miles offshore from Hawera south to the Wellington Harbour entrance.

r200216 Rec SN Closure Comms Maps Central Update 23092020

Find out about the new restrictions

Mātaitai reserves

These are areas where tangata whenua manage non-commercial fishing through bylaws. Information is in the NZ Gazette.

Toka Tāmure – Mahia Peninsula:

• view the map [PDF, 288 KB]  (includes Horokaka and Te Hoe mātaitai)
• Fisheries (Declaration of Toka Tāmure Mātaitai Reserve Bylaws) Notice 2016 [PDF, 30 KB]

Horokaka – Mahia Peninsula:

• view the map [PDF, 288 KB]  (includes Horokaka and Te Hoe mātaitai)
• Fisheries (Declaration of Horokaka Mātaitai Reserve Bylaws) Notice 2018 [PDF, 42 KB]

Te Hoe – Mahia Peninsula:

• view the map [PDF, 492 KB]
• Fisheries (Declaration of Te Hoe Mātaitai Reserve Bylaws) Notice 2021 [PDF, 38 KB]

Temporary closures

These are areas that are temporarily closed to fishing or certain fishing methods.

Tangoiro/Waihirere 

• View the map [PDF, 504 KB]
• Fisheries (Tangoiro/Waihirere Temporary Closure) Notice 2025 [PDF, 25 KB] - Finfish and shellfish fisheries (shellfish includes rock lobster)

Motuoroi

• View the map [PDF, 622 KB]
• Fisheries (Motuoroi Temporary Closure) Notice 2025 [PDF, 25 KB] - Finfish and shellfish fisheries (shellfish includes rock lobster)

Western Taranaki:

• View the map [PDF, 600 KB]
• Fisheries (Western Taranaki Temporary Closure) Notice 2024 [PDF, 41 KB] - No take of shellfish (excluding rock lobster), seaweed (except beach cast seaweed), sea anemones, stingrays, and two species of conger eel (Conger wilsoni and Conger verreauxi)

Te Ohooho O Parapara Rāhui:

• View the map [PDF, 399 KB]
• Fisheries (Te Ohooho o Parapara Temporary Closure) Notice 2025 - Any species of fish, aquatic life, or seaweed [PDF, 29 KB]

 Ōhiwa Harbour:

• View the map [PDF, 958 KB]
• Fisheries (Te Rāhui Kuku ki Tua o Kanawa Temporary Closure) Notice 2024 - No taking of mussels [PDF, 36 KB]
  

Blue cod restrictions