Fisheries Minister David Parker rules for daily limits on recreationally caught finfish

The Oceans and Fisheries Minister has announced rules for daily limits on finfish following an incident where thousands of pink maomao were hauled by fishermen.

Minister David Parker today said rules for daily limits on recreationally caught finfish will change to include species that previously had no limit.

Parker said he instructed officials to review the daily bag limits for recreationally caught finfish after an incident where hundreds of pink maomao were taken in one day.

Last June, documentary maker Mike Bhana filmed a group of fishermen returning from nearby coastal fisheries with what he says was 1500-2000 pink maomao fish.

Pink maomao, or longfin perch, is a species of sea bass. They can grow to around 50cm, but little is known about these fish.

Last June, thousands of pink maomao were hauled by fishermen. Photo / Supplied

"This is our community, we can't have this happening. We look after this fishery and have people coming in and raping it.

"There's got to be an urgent change to legislation. Otherwise, we're wholesale slaughtering it," he said at the time.

While there are over 1,000 finfish species found in New Zealand only 43 species have been subject to a daily recreational fishing limit.

David Parker is the current Oceans and Fisheries Minister. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Parker said the changes mean, all finfish species will now be included in the combined daily bag limit for finfish.

"This puts an end to excessive take, which could affect the sustainability of a species, and also makes the rules more consistent across the country and easier to follow."

However, certain baitfish and freshwater eels are not included and have their own separate limits added to the combined daily bag limit.

One species with an individual daily limit is kingfish, which has a daily limit of three per angler. The individual limits will be kept but are now included within the combined daily bag limit.

Southern bluefin tuna, which also has a daily limit of one per person per day, will now be included in the amateur regulations.

New Zealand Sport Fishing Council president Bob Gutsell said a number of fishers and boaties are in agreement that this is the "right thing to do".

"As recreational fishers, we're happy to do our bit to try to save our oceans and promote sustainable harvest levels and techniques.

"We're at the point where some marine species are on the verge of being wiped out by decades of mismanagement under the Quota Management System and destructive fishing techniques such as bottom trawling and dredging."

In the past, anyone taking excess southern bluefin tuna was issued with a warning or faced prosecution, but now Fisheries Officers will be able to issue infringement notices.