Flatfish 2 TAC review 2021

DECISION: APPROVED

Introduction

On 9 December 2020 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) advised they were reviewing the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) in Flatfish 2, around the bottom half of the North Island.

Any changes in catch limits would apply from 1 October 2021.

Submissions in response to the proposals were due by 5 February 2021. The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council worked with the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association and LegaSea to respond by the submission deadline.

The Minister has decided to reduce the TACC in Flatfish 2 from 726 t to 150 t, from 1 October 2021. Details in the table below.

Proposal

Fisheries New Zealand propose significant reductions to the TAC and TACC in Flatfish 2 (FLA 2). Option 2 would reduce the TACC down to estimates of the average commercial catch reported over the last 10 years. Option 3 is based on catch in 2016-17, this will constrain future catch near current levels, and limit utilisation in all of FLA 2.

Table 1: Summary of current and proposed catch settings for FLA 2 from 1 October 2021. All figures are in tonnes (t). Figures in brackets indicate the reduction from current settings, in tonnes.

Submission

The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council worked with the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association and LegaSea to submit a joint response to the FNZ proposals. The joint submission was sent to FNZ on 5 February 2021.

Relevant information

2021

Decision

Final advice

Submission

Proposal

2020

Research