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Fioardland Marine Area: Proposed Fisheries Management Measures

This table was adapted from Table 3 of the Investigative Group report.

Marine reserve and non-commercial fishing area location map (inside the habitat lines).

Area Management measures
Milford and Doubtful Sounds

Commercial fishing

  • No commercial fishing inside the Doubtful Sound habitat lines (non commercial fishing area) - Note Milford Sound had been closed to commercial fishing since the 1950s)

Non-commercial fishing - inside the habitat lines

  • Two-year closure for blue cod, plus two additional years if necessary.
  • Groper daily bag limit of three, no accumulation*.
  • Rock lobster daily bag limit of three, no accumulation*.
Inside the habitat lines for the rest of the fiords

Commercial fishing

  • No commercial fishing inside the habitat lines (non-commercial fishing areas).

Non-commercial fishing bag limits - inside the habitat lines

  • Blue cod daily bag limit of three, no accumulation.*
  • Groper daily bag limit of three, no accumulation.*
  • Rock lobster daily bag limit of three, no accumulation.*
Fiord entrances and outer coast

Commercial fishing

  • Harvest capped by the QMS.1

Non-commercial fishing bag limits

  • Blue cod daily bag limit of 20, no accumulation* (includes the three blue cod limit from within the fiords).
  • Groper daily bag limit of five, no accumulation* (includes the three groper limit from within the fiords).
  • Rock lobster daily bag limit of six, with a three-day accumulation limit of 15.
Applying both "inside rest of the fiords, (inside the habitat lines)" and to "the Fiord entrances and outer coast"

Non-commercial fishing bag limits

  • Scallop and paua daily bag limit 10, no accumulation.*2
  • Groper included in the total finfish bag limit.
  • Total finfish bag limit of 30 with no accumulation.*
  • Jock Stewart (Sea Perch) daily bag limit of 10 with no accumulation* - outside the combined daily finfish bag limit.

Non-commercial bulk harvesting methods

  • No cod pots inside the habitat lines of any fiord.
  • Dahn lines limited to two/boat and five hooks per line.
  • Rock lobster pots limited to three/boat.
  • No scallop dredges and no set nets.

* Accumulation refers to aggregation of catch in extended recreational fishing trips of several days' duration. To exercise this defence the fisher must be able to prove that the fish or shellfish was taken within the prescribed daily limit on each day fished.

1. Harvest is already capped by the QMS, so there is no change to commercial fishing in these areas.

2. Note that the daily bag limit for paua and scallops is already 10. The change proposed is to limit accumulation.

Last updated: 20 February 2008