The daily bag limit of snapper for recreational fishermen along Northland's East Coast will reduce to seven from tomorrow but the size of fish caught legally is increasing to 30cm.
It's a move a Whangarei fisheries expert describes as a "complete swing and miss".
The Ministry of Primary Industries announced last year that from tomorrow, the daily bag limit off the East Coast between Cape Reinga and East Cape will reduce from nine to seven and the minimum size will increase from 27cm to 30cm.
The snapper one region covers the East Coast between North Cape and Cape Runaway out to a distance of 200 nautical miles. There are no changes to the bag limits or minimum legal sizes outside this area.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the changes, and measures to reduce dumping and wastage by commercial fishers, was aimed at building up stocks in affected areas.