The Southland Fishery Management Area covers:
Note that separate fishing rules apply to Paterson Inlet (Stewart Island) and the area does not include Fiordland, which also has different rules.
Note: All fishing is totally prohibited.
No person may take or possess any fish, aquatic life or seaweed from within the reserve.
Womens Island/ Pikomamaku is in the North Tītī Isles group, Foveaux Strait.
Find full details and a map under 'Mataitai reserves'.
The lists below show areas where:
There's more information in the rules brochure and NZ Fishing Rules app.
No fishing is allowed, this includes Marine Reserves.
Marine reserves are managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
A to Z of marine reserves – DOC website
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.
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Blue cod... |
Rule |
|---|---|
|
Pot construction |
Rigid square mesh, where:
|
|
Accumulation limit |
When your fishing trip is more than one day, if you can prove you have not taken more than the daily bag limit on any given day you can possess 2 daily bag limits of blue cod. |
|
Measurable state |
Within the Southern blue cod management area (Taiaroa Head, Otago to Sand Hill Point, Southland) all blue cod must be landed whole or gutted, or headed and gutted (with the pectoral fins still attached). Headed state minimum length is 24cm, measured from the base of the side pectoral fin to the middle ray of the tail fin. |
|
Eating blue cod on the boat |
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Within the South West blue cod management area (Sand Hill Point to South Bank of Haast River) |
All blue cod must be landed whole or gutted. |
Areas where tangata whenua manage non-commercial fishing through bylaws.
Pikomamaku Mātaitai Reserve is in 2 parts:
Area 1: North end of Womens Island extending 110m along the MHWM and extending 30m seaward at its widest point.
Area 2: The South-west quarter of Womens Island extending 150m offshore from the MHWM bounded between the following boundary coordinate points:
A: 46°49.52’S and 168°14.69’E B: 46°49.60’S and 168°14.69’E
C: 46°49.44’S and 168°14.52’E D: 46°49.44’S and 168°14.64’E
Download the map [PDF, 1.9 MB]
Read the bylaw notice – NZ Gazette
Mataura River Mātaitai [PDF, 1.5 MB]
Te Whaka a Te Wera/Paterson Inlet Mātaitai Reserve [PDF, 1.4 MB]
All recreational and commercial set netting is prohibited in the Southland FMA inshore waters between Slope Point, Haldane to Sand Hill Point, Te Waewae Bay – extending offshore out to 4 nautical miles. The set net prohibition area for Te Waewae Bay, bounded between Sand Hill Point and Wakaputa Point, now extends out to 10 nautical miles offshore.
Note: Recreational set netting is also prohibited in the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area, lying west of Sand Hill Point and extending seaward out to 12 nautical miles. Set netting is also prohibited east of Slope Point up the South Island east coast.
Unless specified, the set netting prohibition does not apply to internal harbours, inside river mouth entrances and estuaries. It is unlawful to take any freshwater sports fish (trout or salmon) using a set net.
We issue warnings not to collect shellfish when testing shows that they contain unsafe levels of toxins.
