New concerns over the health of Aotearoa’s tarakihi fishery are intensifying calls for a review of fisheries management, with reports indicating the eastern tarakihi stock has fallen to just 7.7 percent of its estimated original biomass.
The reported decline has renewed questions about whether New Zealand’s fisheries management system is achieving its core objective of maintaining healthy, sustainable fish populations while supporting commercial, customary and recreational fishing interests.
For Māori, the issue extends well beyond environmental conservation. Tarakihi is both an important commercial species and a taonga that supports customary harvest, cultural practices and the economic wellbeing of iwi, hapū and Māori fishing enterprises.
A significant decline in tarakihi stocks would have wide-ranging consequences for the Māori economy.
Many iwi hold commercial fishing assets through the Māori Fisheries Settlement, with quota and fishing businesses providing employment, income and long-term investment opportunities for whānau and communities. Reduced catch limits or continued stock declines could affect business performance, limit employment opportunities and reduce the economic returns that support iwi development programmes.
The impacts would also be felt by coastal communities where commercial fishing contributes to local economies through processing, transport, marine services and associated industries.
Beyond economics, healthy fish populations are central to the exercise of kaitiakitanga.
For generations, iwi and hapū have managed fisheries through customary practices grounded in sustainability, seasonal harvesting and intergenerational stewardship. A depleted tarakihi fishery reduces opportunities to gather kaimoana for hui, tangihanga and other important cultural occasions while making it more difficult to pass customary knowledge and practices to future generations.
The loss of abundance also affects the relationship between tangata whenua and the moana, challenging the ability of Māori to fulfil responsibilities as kaitiaki of marine resources.
The reported decline has prompted renewed scrutiny of New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS), which has governed commercial fisheries since 1986.
The QMS is internationally recognised for using scientific assessments and annual catch limits to manage fish stocks. Supporters argue it has successfully rebuilt several fisheries over recent decades while providing certainty for commercial operators.
However, the reported condition of tarakihi has led critics to question whether the system has responded quickly enough when scientific evidence points to declining abundance. They argue effective fisheries management should prioritise rebuilding depleted stocks before they reach critically low levels, ensuring abundance rather than simply avoiding collapse.
Many also believe fisheries management must place greater emphasis on ecosystem health, recognising that sustainable oceans require more than managing individual species in isolation.
Calls for reform include strengthening scientific monitoring, adopting more precautionary catch limits, improving protection of marine habitats and increasing the role of iwi and hapū in fisheries management and decision-making.
Many Māori leaders argue that mātauranga Māori and customary knowledge should sit alongside scientific research to provide a more comprehensive understanding of changing marine environments. Combining these knowledge systems is seen as a way to improve long-term decision-making while reinforcing the principles of kaitiakitanga.
Protecting taonga species such as tarakihi is increasingly viewed as both an environmental and economic imperative. Healthy fisheries underpin commercial success, food security, cultural identity and the ability of future generations to maintain their relationship with the moana.
As fisheries managers continue reviewing stock assessments and future catch settings, the debate over tarakihi has become a broader conversation about whether Aotearoa’s fisheries system is delivering not only sustainable harvests, but thriving marine ecosystems that support communities, customary rights and a resilient Māori fishing industry for decades to come.
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