Recreational harvest estimates

Introduction

New Zealand’s methods of estimating recreational marine harvest are internationally recognised as being robust and reliable. A 2018 report below highlights the high quality work being undertaken in New Zealand to measure recreational harvest. It offers assurance that fisheries managers and the Minister have good data on recreational harvest, and acknowledges the uncertainty of harvest estimates in some niche, small scale fisheries.

In 2012 the Ministry for Primary Industries conducted a large scale multi-species National Panel Survey. The findings were released in 2014. The Panel was so successful it was repeated in 2017-18. Those results were published in 2019.

The overriding constraint is that the national harvest surveys are expensive and currently only undertaken every five or six years.

Recreational harvest has a significant impact in some shellfish fisheries and a few inshore finfish stocks such as snapper and kahawai on the North Island’s northeast coast, and blue cod at the top of the South Island. Most other inshore fish stocks are dominated by commercial harvest. Generally, existing regulatory tools and controls have proven to be effective in managing recreational harvest.

Annual recreational harvest

Excluding aquaculture and based on MPI’s 2017-18 survey results, recreational fishing represents –

1. Around 3% of the total harvest from all of New Zealand’s marine waters.
2. Less than 20% of total harvest from the inshore fish stocks in which the public has an interest.

Self-reporting of recreational catch

The objective of catch and effort reporting by fishers is to generate a time series of catch data that is used to assess fish stocks. Commercial fishers have had an obligation to report landings for decades. More recently, charter boat operators have a reporting requirement, and Kaitiaki issuing permits for Māori customary harvest have reporting obligations.

It is in vogue to suggest that recreational fishers should also report their catch. However, the research into the accuracy of current self-reporting regimes finds them to be readily manipulated and riddled with errors.

The recurring calls for recreational catch reporting do not arise from a genuine interest in accurate catch data. These calls are merely a useful distraction, a ‘look over there not here’ tactic. It is time to let the delusion of accurate app reporting slide into history. Read more here.

Relevant information

Reports

2024

2021

2020

2019

2018

2014