QMS FAQs
All FAQs |
Customary Fisheries | Fisheries Management | maximum sustainable yield | QMS | Economics | Fishing | Rescue Fish | Environment | Fishing methods | Recreational Fishing | Fishcare | customary | Kahawai | Reform scam | Baitfish | Scallops | Crayfish | WRC decision | Marlin | Reef fish | Deemed value penalties
February 19, 2026
No. LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council have submitted many times that the deemed value system is not working. It’s not fair on smaller operators if larger operators, who hold a lot of Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE), will not release it. This encourages dumping, which is not good for the small-scale operator, nor ... Read more.
February 19, 2026
Deemed value penalties are supposed to be a deterrent to prevent commercial fishers from exceeding lawful catch limits. If these penalties are reduced, it will encourage ongoing catches beyond sustainable limits, weakening protections for fish stocks. The cost of commercial fishers catching more than they are legally allowed would instead be treated as an acceptable ... Read more.
February 19, 2026
No. The money collected from deemed value penalties goes into the Government’s Consolidated Fund. There is no requirement that deemed value revenue is reinvested into fisheries management expenses such as enforcement, monitoring, stock assessments and fisheries science.
February 19, 2026
Deemed value penalties are meant to work like a fine, a financial incentive that encourages fishers to stay within lawful catch limits. The penalty is supposed to be high enough to encourage responsible fishing, but low enough to discourage dumping of unwanted catch overboard.
February 19, 2026
Deemed value penalties are financial penalties commercial fishers are required to pay when they catch more fish than they are legally allowed. Commercial fishers must acquire Annual Catch Entitlements (ACE) to cover the fish they catch. If they catch more fish than they have ACE, they must buy more ACE. If they cannot source enough ... Read more.
May 29, 2025
Commercial/Total Allowable Commercial Catch limit (TACC) – 2,728,000 kilograms. (2728 tonnes). Recreational allowance – 2,293,000 kilograms. (2293 tonnes). Māori customary allowance – 617,000 kilograms. (617 tonnes). *Note – Recreational and customary fishing are not part of the Quota Management System. As per the 1996 Fisheries Act, the Minister sets aside allowances to provide for our ... Read more.
May 29, 2025
Below is the breakdown of kahawai catch in 2024; Commercial landings – 2,158,000 kilograms, for sale. Recreational landings – 370,600 kilograms, to feed our families. Māori customary – unknown, however, it is common for kahawai to be caught for customary purposes under the amateur fishing regulations, as part of a person’s recreational daily bag limit. ... Read more.
May 29, 2025
Around 55% of the commercial kahawai catch remains in New Zealand and sold locally. Sources – Seafood New Zealand, Export Statistics. January – December 2024. Page 41. Fisheries New Zealand, Fisheries Assessment Plenary. May 2024. Page 723
May 29, 2025
In 2024 whole, frozen kahawai were on average exported for less than $2 per kilo. Source – Seafood New Zealand, Export Statistics. January – December 2024. Page 41.
May 29, 2025
In 2024, more than 620,000 kilos of kahawai were exported to Guinea, West Africa. That’s more than 70% of the total frozen, whole kahawai exported. Source – Seafood New Zealand, Export Statistics. January – December 2024. Page 41.
