Limit your catch this summer

Crayfish stocks on the northeast coast are in trouble and they need a helping hand from all fishers. Hauraki Gulf crayfish have been described as “functionally extinct”. Public access to crayfish has suffered because of overfishing, poor management, and low abundance.

In April, commercial catch limits were reduced by 60%. New recreational controls won’t be in place until mid-2019. Many divers and fishers have told us they want to help rebuild crayfish stocks.

LegaSea, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, New Zealand Underwater Association, and Spearfishing New Zealand are taking a proactive stance to help rebuild crayfish abundance. Together we are promoting a voluntary reduction on daily harvest from six to three crayfish per day in the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, and Hauraki Gulf over the coming summer.

Public fishers who target crayfish are encouraged to join our members in this conservation initiative.

Restoring abundance
Now is a good time to reduce the daily bag limit from six to three because it will assist the early stages of the rebuild, leaving more crayfish in the water leading into the next spawning season. The faster we can turn this fishery around the better.

Meantime, Fisheries New Zealand is consulting on an official bag limit reduction and a new method called telson clipping to identify recreational catch. The NZ Sport Fishing Council does not currently support telson clipping and will respond to FNZ by the December 19th deadline.

Let’s do our part. Please join us in leaving more crayfish in the water.

Joint statement by –

LegaSea, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, New Zealand Underwater Association and Spearfishing New Zealand.