The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the spiny rock lobster in Gisborne, the East Cape, and Mahia, has decreased from 244 to 172 tonnes - a reduction of 30%.
Gisborne catch limits for spiny rock lobster have been reduced after a sustainability review found the population remains under pressure despite earlier limit reductions.
Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones announced the change to the catch limit on Thursday, while also announcing an increase to the limit for Otago.
It means the total allowable catch (TAC) for the spiny rock lobster fishery known as CRA 3, covering Gisborne, East Cape, and Mahia, has decreased from 244 to 172 tonnes.
TAC is the amount that can be taken by commercial, customary Māori interests, recreational fishery interests and other sources of fishing-related mortality to ensure the sustainability of that fishery in a given period, usually a year.
The commercial catch limit was decreased from 156 to 107 tonnes, and the allowance for all other mortality caused by fishing was decreased from 60 to 37 tonnes. Allowances for customary and recreational fishing were kept at 20 and 8 tonnes respectively.
“These are both highly valued fisheries, and my decisions aim to ensure their sustainability for the benefit of fishers today and in the future,” Jones said.
“The Gisborne spiny rock lobster fishery [CRA 3], which extends from East Cape around the Māhia Peninsula to the Wairoa River, remains under pressure despite commercial catch and recreational daily limit reductions in 2024.
“There’s also some uncertainty about the immediate and ongoing effect of the 2023 cyclones on spiny rock lobster habitat in CRA 3, meaning we need to be cautious.”
In 2024, Jones decided to reduce the TAC in CRA 3 from 302 tonnes to 244 tonnes (19.2%).
That was a 39-tonne reduction in the commercial limit, a four-tonne reduction in the recreational limit and a 15-tonne reduction in the limit for all other mortality caused by fishing.
In his decision last week, he acknowledged the tangata whenua, recreational and commercial fishers, environmental groups and local communities who provided feedback on the proposals.
“This input forms an important part of the advice I receive from officials, and the decisions I have made.”
Emma Taylor, director fisheries management, said Fisheries New Zealand received 224 submissions during the consultation period on proposals to change catch limits for CRA 3.
“The submissions will be published on our website in the coming weeks.”
Jones said commercial fishers in the affected area, under the Tairāwhiti Rock Lobster Industry Association (TRLIA), have also agreed to spread out their fishing effort to address regional differences in stock recovery.
“I thank these fishers for their contributions to the responsible management of the fishery. They are strongly invested in the long-term health of these important resources.”
Ken Houkamau, chair of TRLIA and CEO of Iwi Collective Partnership (a collaboration of Māori fishing entities), believed the decision struck the right balance.
It addressed the stress that the East Coast lobster fishery was under while recognising local families and the economy relied on it.
“It was good to have a decision come down to some clear evidence, supporting a direction that had a science-based rationale,” Houkamau said.
He said local industry had added a voluntary reduction of 10% of the limit on top of 2024 reductions after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“With the undeniable impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle and continued poor weather in our region for some time, it has been very hard. In terms of fishing days, for example, our vessels haven’t been able to get out as much as they would usually, so this is all just driving pressure across our industry.”
The minister’s decision letter said most stakeholders across all sections expressed strong concern about the status of CRA 3. They also supported a reduction in the catch limit during consultation, although views differed on the appropriate scale of that reduction.
The decision was expected to rebuild the harvestable population of spiny rock lobster back to a sustainable level within two years, according to the letter.
The MPI discussion document for sustainability measures gave several options:
It was this final option, underpinned by a voluntary regional catch distribution arrangement across two regions within CRA 3, which the minister selected.
While the option has a two-year rebuild period, Fisheries New Zealand said one of the two regions within CRA 3 was not expected to rebuild above the target population level for three years, so the measures would need to be in place for at least three years.
A rapid update assessment of CRA 3 conducted by the Ministry for Primary Industries in November 2025 estimated the legally harvestable adult spiny rock lobster population was 72% of the target level, at which a maximum sustainable yield could be produced.
It also found a low-spawning stock population.
While it was not known why spawning stock was low, MPI said there was evidence to suggest that the declining number of females in catches was due to stunted growth caused by either population density-dependent effects and, or, increasing sea temperatures, rather than fishing pressure.
“The low abundance of females has also been reported in the Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve [north of Gisborne], suggesting the cause is unlikely to be fishing related.”