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What needs to change for tarakihi?

July 15, 2026 The environment must come first. Under the Fisheries Act 1996, the Minister must first ensure the stock and the wider marine environment are sustained, before deciding how much can be caught – and where a fishery has fallen too low, the law requires a genuine plan to rebuild it. On that basis, there needs to ... Read more.
Fisheries Management | Tarakihi

Is tarakihi mostly targeted, or caught as bycatch?

July 15, 2026 Tarakihi is mostly targeted by bottom trawling. Around two-thirds of commercially caught tarakihi is taken on fishing trips where tarakihi is the target species, with the rest coming up alongside other species in mixed trawl fisheries. Most of the catch is a choice about where and how to fish, not something unavoidable which means catch ... Read more.
Fisheries Management | Tarakihi

How much tarakihi is exported?

July 15, 2026 Very little. Tarakihi is one of New Zealand’s staple table fish. Around 95% of tarakihi caught is sold and eaten right here in Aotearoa, not shipped overseas. That’s why the state of the stock matters so much to ordinary Kiwis, this isn’t a distant export commodity, it’s a fish New Zealanders catch or buy to ... Read more.
Fisheries Management | Tarakihi

Why is tarakihi split into an “east coast” and “west coast” stock?

July 15, 2026 Fisheries New Zealand now assesses and manages tarakihi as two stocks, eastern and western. The science has indicated the two coasts have different nursery grounds, spawning areas, age patterns, and catch trends, and both age-composition and genetic studies point to fish being largely distinct. On the east coast, juvenile fish grow up mainly around Canterbury ... Read more.
Fisheries Management | Tarakihi

What will happen if environmental considerations are removed from the Fisheries Act?

April 15, 2026 Over time, we can expect fewer fish in the water and a degraded marine environment, impacting generations to come.
Environment | Kill the Bill

How many species are in the Quota Management System?

April 15, 2026 There are only 98 species in the Quota Management System. These are divided into 642 separate fish stocks i.e For snapper, there are six different snapper stocks across the country – SNA 1 (Northland, Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Plenty), SNA 2 (Hawkes Bay, East Cape)…
Fisheries Management | QMS

Who benefits from removing environmental safeguards in the Fisheries Act?

April 15, 2026 Removing environmental considerations when setting catch limits benefits the short-term profits for quota shareholders, the people and entities who make money from leasing or owning quota. The costs, however, will be borne by the marine environment, small-scale commercial fishers, the public and future generations.
Environment | Kill the Bill

Why should impacts on the wider marine environment be considered when setting catch limits?

April 15, 2026 Because fish live in a marine ecosystem. The Minister must consider the impacts of fishing on the marine environment to ensure that commercial fishing doesn’t undermine the health of fish populations or the ecosystems they depend on. A healthy marine environment supports abundant fisheries and our ability to catch fish for now and future generations.
Environment | Kill the Bill

Why does the Minister want to remove environmental safeguards in the Fisheries Act?

April 15, 2026 Because it will make it easier to increase commercial catch limits without the Minister considering the long-term damage to marine habitats, impacts on other species outside of the Quota Management System, and the health of the wider marine environment.
Environment | Kill the Bill

Don’t court challenges restrict fishing activity?

April 14, 2026 Courts have repeatedly confirmed that fishing can continue, but only in a way that ensures sustainability. These rulings help secure the long-term future of fishing rather than undermine it.
Judicial Review | Fisheries Management