In some areas in Northland, colonies of kina have been known to infest to such an extent that it turns the seabed barren. Photo/Shaun Lee
In some areas in Northland, colonies of kina have been known to infest to such an extent that it turns the seabed barren. Photo/Shaun Lee
Increasing the daily recreational catch limit for kina is being considered as part of new fishing rules that come into effect in Northland next summer.
Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones told the Advocate that the change would help local communities tackle the longstanding problem of “kina barrens” where hordes of kina graze through seaweeds and kelp and leave behind a bare reef.
Fisheries NZ agreed. Director of fisheries management Emma Taylor said considering an increase of bag limit for kina would be in the “overall package of measures” to manage kina infestations alongside others.
Taylor said that based on the instruction provided by the minister, there would also be a two-year fisheries closure and fishing method prohibition at Tūtūkākā Harbour, Ngunguru Bay, Ngunguru River, Horahora River, and surrounding areas to boost rock lobster, a predator of kina.
A proposal would introduce two new types of permits to enable improved and efficient management of kina barren areas. A scientific programme such as mapping would be used to better understand the areas’ specific nature and extent.
Jones said over time he had received “tremendous interest” from iwi, communities and recreational fishers who had raised concerns about such kina infestations being a major threat to Northland biodiversity after caulerpa (algae).
“It’s a matter that people have called for Crown action over a long time and hence this is an overdue development,” he said.
While the new catch limit is yet to be decided, he confirmed that people would be entitled to catch “significantly more” than the current daily limit of 50 kina per gatherer.
Based on some feedback, he claimed that several locals had suggested increasing the limit to 150 or even 300 kina.
“But the challenge is ensuring we don’t inadvertently undermine the healthy kina populations. Since I don’t want a situation where a higher limit allows unscrupulous people to plunder the healthy kina,” Jones said.
To ensure fairness, officials from the Ministry of Primary Industry (MPI) would use a scientific programme to set up grids for kina-infested areas around Northland and all “culling activities” would be directed within the “selected” grid areas.
After some discussions with iwi, the major areas of concern include the coastal stretch from Tūtūkākā to the Bay of Islands, Doubtless Bay, Matai Bay and Whananāki, Jones said.
He stated that the new rules were specific to recreational fishers and divers and not to commercial divers bound by their regulations.
Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says the new rules will boost the quality of the local marine environment. Photo/ Michael Cunningham.
“I’m aware of an allegation about how overfishing caused by commercial fisheries is causing these kina barrens. And I have asked for additional scientific information and advice from MPI regarding this.”
Jones said the changes would come in next summer because the new rules would need to have community consultation, expected to be roughly completed by June, and scientific analysis to be “legally compliant”.
Northland would be the first region to feel the changes followed by other regions in Aotearoa, he said.
“Hauraki Gulf have already expressed their interest and the changes when in effect will have enough flexibility to extend to other grided areas.”
Jones shared his vision about having “community cull days” which would see locals cull to their “heart’s content” and at the same time attract a new generation of people to learn about their local marine ecosystem.
“I have already received much interest from high school teachers about the possibility of involving their students to help in the community cull once the changes are hopefully implemented.”
Taylor said there would be opportunities for people who wish to have an input into planning and methods through consultation periods.
“We will be looking for input from people and groups across the country, including tangata whenua, local communities, the fishing industry, recreational fishers, and many others,” Taylor said.
What is a kina barren?
A kina barren is formed when there is an overabundance of kina in an area. There can be several factors. Populations of kina are known to expand quickly in areas where there are low numbers of their predators such as snapper and rock lobster.
Once kina barrens form they are difficult to reverse. A range of measures are required to either fix the problem or prevent it occurring in the first place.
Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.
