Consultation has opened on a proposal to cut crayfish catch limits off Northland's east coast.
Consultation has opened on a proposal to cut crayfish catch limits off Northland's east coast.
Proposed closures and stricter management of Northland’s east coast crayfishing area are being applauded by environmentalists.
They say the initiatives reflect long-overdue leadership by Fisheries New Zealand in the recovery of crayfish populations and ecosystems.
Fisheries NZ yesterday announced it is consulting on a range of options forthe CRA1 spiny rock lobster fishery.
Options include several that aim to address the ecological damage caused by kina barrens - areas where colonies of kina have grazed kelp forests until the seabed is barren.
Its preferred option would see a year-round closure of recreational and commercial crayfishing from North Cape to Te Arai Point, including an adjacent area near the inner Hauraki Gulf.
ELI legal adviser Reto Blattner de-Vries said the charitable trust was pleased Fisheries NZ was showing leadership in responding to the kina barren crisis.
He believed decisions under the Fisheries Act needed to be made according to the best available information and science.
“The science has been clear for some time now; closures to crayfish fisheries are needed to restore their populations and habitats. In many areas, there are so few crayfish left they are considered functionally extinct.”
Blattner de-Vries said the announcement marked a hard-won change in approach from Fisheries NZ, sparked by two successful court cases brought by Environmental Law Initiative and hapū that included Te Uri o Hikihiki, Ngāti Kaharau, and Ngāti Hau Hapū ki Hokianga.
The cases overturned previous decisions by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries on CRA 1 catch limits and highlighted the need for science-based decision-making under the Fisheries Act.
The proliferation of kina barrens across large swathes of the east coast of Northland has become a major concern for the region.
Blattner de-Vries said once-rich coastal ecosystems are now comparatively lifeless kina barrens.
He explained that crayfish are a key predator of kina in kelp forests. However, overfishing has crashed crayfish populations, resulting in the proliferation of kina which have eaten their way through kelp forests.
“This is a cautionary tale – Fisheries NZ should not wait until ecological catastrophe takes place to close a fishery. Everyone, including fishers, wins from taking a precautionary approach to the management of our fisheries. It is a positive commitment to our future.”
The proposals form part of Fisheries NZ’s integrated management approach to help restore kelp forests and mitigate the spread of urchin barrens.
Measures include increasing the abundance of predators like rock lobster and snapper, alongside special permits for urchin removal.
Earlier this week, Fisheries NZ announced it was consulting on new management targets and draft fisheries plans for the Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty (CRA 2) and Wellington/Wairarapa (CRA 4) fisheries.
These plans aim to increase the volume of rock lobsters maintained in the fishery over time, improving resilience and predictability.
In some areas in Northland, colonies of kina have grazed kelp forests until the seabed is barren. Photo / Shaun Lee
Fisheries NZ director of fisheries management Emma Taylor said the proposed changes were about improving resilience and making fisheries more predictable year to year.
“The options for proposed management targets, which set the level of fish maintained in a fishery, translate to more lobsters in the water for now and for generations to come.”
Fisheries NZ also proposed an additional year-round closure in CRA 2 – from Te Arai Point to Cape Rodney – and reductions in recreational catch limits for packhorse and spiny rock lobster.
Taylor said the proposals would benefit customary, recreational, and commercial fishers, while also supporting broader ecosystem health.
Submissions on the CRA 1 closure and catch limit reductions are being accepted until 5pm on September 22.
If approved, the fisheries plans and the management targets within them would be considered by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries when making future decisions for these stocks.
For more information or to make a submission, the public can contact MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz.
