Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Fishing ban on crayfish floated for east coast from Auckland to top of Northland

Denise Piper
By Denise Piper
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
16 May, 2025 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Spiny rock lobster, better known as crayfish, are a natural predator of kina.  Photo / NZME
Spiny rock lobster, better known as crayfish, are a natural predator of kina. Photo / NZME

Spiny rock lobster, better known as crayfish, are a natural predator of kina. Photo / NZME

An “urgent marine crisis” could see crayfish from Northland’s east coast off the menu for at least three years.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is considering banning commercial and recreational fishing of spiny rock lobster, known as crayfish, from the north’s entire east coast.

Consultation is needed before any ban can go ahead, but a precedent has already been set with a three-year closure of spiny rock lobster fishing in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, which Jones announced earlier this year.

The move comes after the High Court rejected the Government’s revised quota management plan for crayfish in Northland, finding it did not do enough to “address an urgent marine crisis” in the eastern part of the zone.

The court ruling earlier this year found the area is plagued by kina barrens, where the urchin populations have exploded due to a lack of predators, decimating kelp forests which are a nursery for other sea species.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The crayfish, also known as red rock lobster or kōura, are a natural predator of kina but their numbers have been declining.

Jones said with Northland well known for its great fishing, reducing access to the crayfish would be a “radical change”.

“It [crayfish] has been an iconic image for holidaymakers or people wanting to get a feed.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, he said both recreational and commercial fishers in Northland have already said they can see a problem with declining crayfish numbers and exploding kina numbers.

Any ban would not include Northland’s west coast, where 90% of commercial fishers are based, nor would it include packhorse crayfish, which are less under threat, Jones said.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones, who has already announced significant reforms for New Zealand's fisheries, is now looking at a ban of crayfish takes from Northland's east coast. Photo / NZME
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones, who has already announced significant reforms for New Zealand's fisheries, is now looking at a ban of crayfish takes from Northland's east coast. Photo / NZME

There will be a statutory consultation process, including discussing how long such a ban could last.

But Jones said dealing with this ecological issue would take a marathon, not a sprint, and must be backed by science.

“I’m willing to be flexible, but I don’t want to go too far away from the science and technology.

“It’s not tolerable that this resource should continue to decline in a very popular portion of our coastline, from Auckland to the Bay of Islands and beyond.”

Jones wants more work to reduce kina barrens

Kina barrens, such as this one pictured in Northland's Maitai Bay in 2018, happen when kina populations explode with the urchin eating everything on the seafloor.
Kina barrens, such as this one pictured in Northland's Maitai Bay in 2018, happen when kina populations explode with the urchin eating everything on the seafloor.

Alongside any changes to the crayfish catch, Jones wants to see more being done to reduce the kina infestations.

He has introduced new rules to increase the kina bag limit, so more can be removed from problem areas.

Jones praised the work of Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative, which has cleared more than 8000 kina from Matheson Bay/Te Kohuroa in north Auckland with a special permit under the new rules.

The initiative has already found areas cleared of kina have kelp growing back and the kina are not returning.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jones said such a community project could be great in Northland, if it could involve young people not in work, alongside hapū or iwi groups.

“We could get these young people in the water, start to learn more about the environment and start to do good.”

Court process dates back to 2022

The High Court decision in February comes after a lengthy legal process dating back to 2022, initiated by Environmental Law Initiative and Northland hapū Te Uri O Hikihiki, Ngāti Hau and Ngāti Kaharau Hapū ki Hokianga.

The groups took then-Fisheries Minister David Parker to task for failing to sustainably manage Northland’s crayfish stock.

A revised plan in March 2023 by then-minister Stuart Nash reduced the total allowable catch by 11% for recreational fishers, from 193 tonnes to 172 tonnes, and 15% for commercial, from 105 tonnes to 89 tonnes.

But the Environmental Law Initiative and Northland hapū again challenged this plan, and were backed by the High Court that the new limit would still not address the issues on the east coast.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jones, as minister, has since appealed this decision to clarify certain aspects of the decision and the 2023 total allowable catch currently remains in place.

Discover more

  • Council navigates uncharted waters with Bay of Islands fishing ban
  • Fishing club reeling with delight after record number of marlin
  • 'Sick to our stomachs': Dive companies shocked by alleged illegal fishing
  • Commercial vessel caught with gear in marine protected Poor Knights

Fisheries NZ started consulting on ways to manage Northland’s spiny rock lobster fishery, to help mitigate kina barrens, late last year, and it considers these measures to be consistent with the latest court ruling.

Consultation is expected to begin around the middle of the year.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Steps taken to resolve Kaeo's boil water notice after Water Services Authority visit

Northland Age

Far North News in brief: Safe dog practices, Fatal fires rise

Northland Age

Men forfeit $70k in drug proceeds after meth lab arrests


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

'Legends armed with shovels': Motorists work together to clear slip on Brynderwyns
Northern Advocate

'Legends armed with shovels': Motorists work together to clear slip on Brynderwyns

Dargaville Hospital loses last fulltime doctor in rural staffing crisis
Northern Advocate

Dargaville Hospital loses last fulltime doctor in rural staffing crisis

Air NZ to support 20 regional events to boost domestic tourism
Tourism

Air NZ to support 20 regional events to boost domestic tourism

Afternoon quiz: What is Dora the Explorer's last name?
New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: What is Dora the Explorer's last name?

T-shirt costing $9 lasts longer than one priced at $895
World

T-shirt costing $9 lasts longer than one priced at $895

Best places to take a toddler in the Alps
Travel

Best places to take a toddler in the Alps



Latest from Northland Age

Steps taken to resolve Kaeo's boil water notice after Water Services Authority visit
Northland Age

Steps taken to resolve Kaeo's boil water notice after Water Services Authority visit

The supplier is to provide a plan on how he intends to meet expectations.

28 Jul 07:00 PM
Far North News in brief: Safe dog practices, Fatal fires rise
Northland Age

Far North News in brief: Safe dog practices, Fatal fires rise

28 Jul 04:00 PM
Men forfeit $70k in drug proceeds after meth lab arrests
Northland Age

Men forfeit $70k in drug proceeds after meth lab arrests

28 Jul 05:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search