FAQs

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What’s the annual catch allowance for kahawai, for each sector?

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.
Customary Fisheries | QMS | Recreational Fishing | Kahawai

How much kahawai is caught from New Zealand waters, per annum?

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.
Customary Fisheries | QMS | Recreational Fishing | Kahawai

How much of the commercial kahawai catch is sold in New Zealand?

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
Kahawai | QMS

What’s the export price of kahawai, per kilo?

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.
QMS | Kahawai

What country does most of our kahawai get exported to?

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.
QMS | Kahawai

What is the primary commercial fishing method of harvesting kahawai?

May 29, 2025 Purse seining is the main method used by commercial fishers to catch kahawai. Substantial quantities of kahawai are also harvested using set nets and as non-targeted catch in the surface longline and trawl fisheries Source – Fisheries New Zealand, Fisheries Assessment Plenary. May 2024. Pages 720 & 721
QMS | Fishing methods | Kahawai

How much kahawai does New Zealand export?

May 29, 2025 In 2024, New Zealand exported more than 975,000 kilograms of kahawai. The majority of kahawai is exported frozen, whole, no value added. Source – Seafood New Zealand, Export Statistics. January – December 2024. Page 41  
QMS | Kahawai

How much fish do recreational marine fishers catch?

April 18, 2024 The 2022-23 National Panel Survey to estimate recreational catch found that New Zealanders land around 5,500 tonnes of fish per annum. This survey was conducted nationwide by Fisheries New Zealand between 1 October 2022 and 30 September 2023. The previous Survey was conducted in 2017-18. Excluding aquaculture, the Fisheries New Zealand research reveals that annual ... Read more.
Recreational Fishing

What is B50?

October 5, 2023 B50 is precautionary management Given the challenges of climate change, poor stock estimates and critical Court judgements, delivering on the promise of precautionary management means investing in a change to restore fish abundance, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. Having a management target of B50 is a start to achieving restored abundance for the benefit of all ... Read more.
Fisheries Management

Can a fishery be closed to Māori customary fishing?

April 13, 2023 In March 2023 Stuart Nash, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, closed the Coromandel scallop fishery to commercial and recreational harvest. This closure was made under section 11 of the Fisheries Act 1996. The fishery remains open to Māori customary harvest. There has been a strong reaction to this decision so we asked Fisheries New ... Read more.
customary