Results from the most recent survey estimating snapper mortality due to recreational fishing were published by Fisheries New Zealand in July 2026. That research found that around 250 tonnes of snapper in northern waters die annually when discarded by recreational fishers. A large percentage of those discarded fish were in the Hauraki Gulf, around 23% by weight. Researchers caught the fish then put them into holding nets to monitor which ones floated and died, and which ones survived.