August 31, 2023
Paua catch sliced for central and lower NI
The daily limit for recreationally caught pāua in the central and lower North Island will reduce to five of each species per fisher from next Monday, September 4.
Fisheries New Zealand’s fisheries management director Emma Taylor says 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.
Recreational fishers also reported localised depletion, particularly in easily accessible areas which are expected to have higher levels of recreational fishing during summer.
Increased sedimentation caused by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle may also have affected pāua populations in some areas of the East Coast.
There is already a rahui in place in parts of Taranaki.
Ms Taylor says new measures take a precautionary approach to managing the fishery so that pāua can be enjoyed by future generations.
For the first time the ministry is also setting a total allowable catch, limiting the amount of pāua that can be harvested in the region to 192 tonnes from al sources, commercial, recreational and customary.