Coromandel scallop fishery to remain closed

A recreational diver reaches for a scallop in Whangarei Harbour. Photo / Crispin Middleton, Niwa

The Coromandel scallop fishery has been fully closed to commercial and recreational fishing to allow it to recover.

Most of the Coromandel scallop fishery - and the entire Northland scallop fishery - was closed in 2021 due to sustainability concerns, Fisheries New Zealand’s director of fisheries management, Emma Taylor, said in a statement.

“In December 2022, new information led to a temporary emergency closure of the two remaining open areas, one around Little Barrier Island and the other in Colville Channel. This new 2023 sustainability closure will see those areas remain closed.

“The use of emergency measures to close a fishery is rare, and they are not used lightly,” Taylor said.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Stuart Nash made the decision based on new survey information, which showed the two open areas in the fishery could no longer sustain harvesting.

“The initial closures followed extensive surveys in 2021 which revealed sustainability concerns. Results from surveys in the areas around Little Barrier Island and the Colville Channel in 2022 revealed further serious declines in scallop numbers,” Nash said.

“In light of this evidence, feedback received during public consultation supported a full and ongoing closure of the fishery as well as reductions to the Total Allowable Catch to give the fishery the best chance of recovery.”

Nash said he decided to set the commercial and recreational allowances at zero, reflecting that no fishing would take place while the closure was in effect.

The closure will not affect the relatively small amount of customary allowance.

Taylor said iwi in the region strongly supported the recovery of the fishery, and issuing of customary fishing permits had been limited, if not completely ceased.

“I’d like to thank iwi for their continued input and support in managing the recovery of this important shared fishery.”

• All of the Coromandel scallop fishery (SCA CS) remains closed to commercial and recreational scallop fishing.
• The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been reduced from 19 to 11 tonnes.
• Commercial and recreational allowances have been set at zero, and the allowance for customary Māori fishing has been retained at 10 tonnes.