New limits set for pāua fishers

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The daily limit for recreationally caught pāua will reduce to five of each pāua species per fisher to support the sustainability of stocks in the central and lower North Island, and that includes this region.

The new rules take effect on September 4.

“Pāua are a popular species to catch for many New Zealanders, and are highly valued by Māori customary fishers, recreational fishers, and commercial fishers alike,” said Fisheries New Zealand director fisheries management Emma Taylor.

Tangata whenua, including the Mai Paritu tae atu ki Turakirae Fisheries Forum which represents iwi and hapū from Gisborne to South Wairarapa, raised concerns about the sustainability of pāua stocks.

“This view was also reflected in submissions from recreational fishers,” Ms Taylor said.

“Customary and recreational fishers have reported localised depletion, particularly in easily accessible areas which are expected to have higher levels of recreational fishing during the summer months.

“This echoes concerns from Taranaki hapū which led to a two-year temporary ban for recreational and commercial pāua harvesting along the Taranaki coast in December 2022. This ban remains in place.”

Recent extreme weather events also play a partm with increased sedimentation caused by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle having likely impacted local pāua populations in some areas of the East Coast, she said.

“The new measures take a precautionary approach to managing the fishery so that pāua can be enjoyed by future generations.

“Community feedback, along with the best available scientific information, contributes to determining sustainable catch settings. It highlights the importance of working together for the sustainability of these important shared fisheries,” Ms Taylor said.

Public consultation on the changes was undertaken as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s regular reviews in April.

Fisheries New Zealand received more than 60 submissions from a wide range of interests including strong support from tangata whenua, recreational fishers, and local communities, to reduce daily limits.

“Another upcoming change for the central and lower North Island pāua fishery is the setting of a total allowable catch (TAC) for the region for the first time.

“The TAC limits the amount of pāua allowed to be harvested to 192.188 tonnes from all sources, commercial, recreational, and customary.”