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Snapper stocks in the Bay of Plenty and the Hauraki Gulf, two crucial breeding grounds, have not been assessed since 2000 but plans are under way to conduct a tagging survey within two years.
Ministry of Fisheries scientists are designing a programme likely to mirror one used on the west coast of the North island in 2005.
Scanning devices in commercial fish cleaning sheds count numbers of tags while recreational fishers are also asked to return tags. That allows MFish to get an idea of the size and age of the population, and the percentages being taken by both sectors.
Concerns about sustainability and court cases regarding the distribution of the quota have prompted research to get a more accurate fix on fish stocks.
Scientists are also monitoring the industry "Catch Per Unit Effort" - the time and fuel spent to meet quotas - which indicates the abundance of fish.
One focus may be on the size of fish such as snapper taken by recreational fishers.
MFish has been surprised by the large numbers of big fish that have been released. Even larger numbers of small fish have been released, both under the legal size of 27cm and up to 33cm. Many anglers have a preferred eating size in the 1.5-4kg range.
The ministry is considering spending more time and effort on catch-and-release education to increase the survival rate.
In addition, MFish has appointed a three-man review panel to advise on its stock assessment process and how that information is processed and presented to Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton to enable him to make quota decisions. He has recently made big cuts in some fisheries, including hoki and orange roughy.
The review team is Dr Robin Allen, secretary of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, MFish manager Peter Murray, and Robert Buchanan, a barrister and solicitor specialising in public law. They are to report by the end of the year and recommendations are to be implemented in next year's round of "sustainability" decisions.
The bluefin tuna season off the South Island's west coast is over, with a total of 175 hooked and brought to the boat by amateur rod-and-reel anglers. Of those, 99 were released and some were tagged with satellite tracking devices.
There were 42 Pacific bluefin landed at an average size of 257kg, 79 of which were released. The 34 Southern bluefin landed averaged 89kg, and 20 other fish were released.
The information comes from an MFish database fed by charter skippers. The ministry is trying to get a better handle on the recreational fishery, which took off three years ago.
The tuna are only in New Zealand waters for a short period in August and September which coincides with the hoki run up the west coast and trawling of Russian and Korean factory ships.
Between 10,000 and 14,000 tonnes are caught commercially each year, mostly by Japanese boats. New Zealand's commercial catch is around 50 tonnes but all fish caught here are mature and past breeding age. Worldwide, the size of bluefin being caught is decreasing, indicating pressure on the stock.
In the Bay of Islands, charter operator Geoff Stone on Major Tom II reports snapper in close around the islands and outer coast. The water temperature has been variable and so has the bite and the bite-time, he said.
Around Auckland, Alan Viscovich on Cobalt reports some hot action at the 50m mark under work-ups of baitfish chased by dolphins.
One party of 12 landed their limit inside two hours, the snapper all between 3 and 6kg. The water temperature remains below 16C, well under the 18.3C needed to promote spawning.
Viscovich said the bulk of their catch lately has been females but without roe, the sort of condition you expect to find them in in August.
Maybe another late season is on the way.
Shallow water strayliners have been doing well on the coast from Orere Point to Miranda on the Firth of Thames as well as on the Thames coast. In the inner Waitemata, fishing remains hard.
The Mercury Bay Gamefishing Club holds its first tournament of the season tomorrow targeting snapper. Manager Tony Fox said the good fish have been in close, those fishing the change of light taking 5-8kg snapper in the bays and from shallow offshore reefs.
On the Manukau Harbour, gurnard have departed the upper reaches and are now in numbers around the mouth and offshore. Juvenile snapper have moved in.
