A report into the economic contribution of commercial fishing to New Zealand has shown processing alone is worth $194 million to the Bay of Plenty region.
Nationally, the seafood industry has a total value of $4.18 billion.
Chief executive of Fisheries Inshore New Zealand, Dr Jeremy Helson, said the report confirmed the importance of commercial fishing to New Zealand.
"The Ministry for Primary Industries says exports alone are expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2025. Add the contribution to the domestic market through jobs, investment in infrastructure and the sectors supporting the industry and you have a significant contributor to the New Zealand economy," said Helson.
The report, which measured a five-year average, showed 13,468 people were directly employed in fishing and seafood processing alone, which is 0.7 per cent of all New Zealand employment.