This project updated the fishery characterisation and CPUE standardisations for school shark in New Zealand, including size-frequency information. Trends in standardised CPUE differed across regions and sometimes across gears in the same region. New bottom trawl indices did not resolve the ongoing conflict in set-net and bottom-longline CPUE in SCH 2 & top of SCH 3. Trawl survey indices were accepted as index of abundance for SCH 7, SCH 8 & lower SCH 1W given declining set net effort.

A literature review revealed a wide variety of ocean acidification (OA) effects on fish. Tank experiments revealed both positive (growth and survival) and negative effects (metabolic performance and hearing) of OA and elevated temperature on snapper. A snapper population model that adjusted parameters to account for OA and elevated temperature suggested positive and negative outcomes were possible. Given this, further data collection and frequent monitoring to inform management would be prudent.

More than 170 groups nationwide are now receiving on-the-ground support to improve land management practices.

This literature review synthesizes the current state of knowledge of marine non-indigenous species treatments, to help address biosecurity risks evident in two focal areas of relevance to marine biosecurity management in New Zealand. These two areas are:
1. the proactive treatment of shellfish aquaculture stock to facilitate biosecure stock transfers; and,
2. the reactive treatment of non-indigenous marine species to enable eradication at the landscape-scale.
The review summarises ~280 published papers in the global literature, outlining a number of chemical, physical and biological treatment options that have been tested to varying degrees. Each identified treatment type was assessed for several attributes in the review, including application regimes, efficacy, safety, the ability to monitor during deployment, biosecurity risks, and the regulatory environment that may influence acceptance and use in New Zealand. A number of these treatments are believed to be effective at small scales. Scaling-up one, or a combination of these identified treatments is likely the most efficient development route. Co-development and collaboration with the aquaculture, marine construction and commercial diving industries is likely to be critical to developing safe, effective and efficient implementation-ready treatment protocols..