Fisheries New Zealand has reduced recreational daily pāua limits for the lower and central North Island.
The daily limit for recreational pāua fishing in the central and lower North Island have been reduced to five of each species per fisher to ensure stock sustainability.
“Pāua are a popular species to catch for many New Zealanders and are highly valued by Māori customary fishers, recreational fishers, and commercial fishers alike,” says Fisheries New Zealand’s director of fisheries management, Emma Taylor.
Tangata Whenua, including the Mai Paritu tae atu ki Turakirae Fisheries Forum, representing iwi and hapū from Gisborne to South Wairarapa, have raised concerns about the sustainability of pāua stocks. Recreational fishers also reflect this view.
“Customary and recreational fishers have reported localised depletion, particularly in easily accessible areas which are expected to have higher levels of recreational fishing during the summer months,” says Taylor.
“This echoes concerns from Taranaki hapū, which led to a 2-year temporary ban for recreational and commercial pāua harvesting along the Taranaki coast in December 2022. This ban remains in place.”
Extreme weather events also play a part with local pāua populations in some areas of the East Coast likely being affected by increased sedimentation caused by Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle.
“The new measures take a precautionary approach to managing the fishery so that future generations can enjoy pāua,” says Taylor.
“Community feedback and the best available scientific information contribute to determining sustainable catch settings. It highlights the importance of working together for the sustainability of these important shared fisheries.”
Public consultation on the changes was undertaken as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s regular reviews in April 2023. Fisheries New Zealand received more than 60 submissions from a wide range of interests, including strong support from tangata whenua, recreational fishers, and local communities to reduce daily limits.
Another upcoming change for the central and lower North Island pāua fishery is setting a total allowable catch (TAC) for the region for the first time. The TAC limits the amount of pāua allowed to be harvested to 192.188 tonnes from all commercial, recreational, and customary sources.