Kina 1 review 2024

DECISION: APPROVED

Introduction

On 26 March 2024 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) proposed an increase to the recreational daily bag limit for kina along the north-eastern coast of the North Island including East Northland (SUR 1A), the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty (SUR 1B).

In May our joint submission recommended that the Minister supports an alternative option that would see the daily bag limit increase from 50 to 70 kina per person.

In a seperate proposal FNZ have proposed the use of special permits to enable the harvest, cull, or translocation of kina for the management of kina barrens nationwide. Submissions for both proposals were due by 20 May 2024

Kina abundance has significantly increased in areas throughout New Zealand due to a lack of prime predators such as large crayfish and snapper. Healthy kelp forests are being overgrazed by such high densities of kina, becoming what’s known as a ‘kina barren’.

Decision

On 11 July FNZ advised that the recreational daily bag limit would increase from 50 to 150 kina per person, per day as of 1 August 2024. The use of special permits for kina removals nationwide will also be introduced under section 97 of the Fisheries Act 1996.

Proposal

FNZ proposed three options to the recreational daily bag limit in SUR 1. Option one retains the status quo (50 per person), whereas Option Two provides an increase to 100 per person and Option three, 150 per person.

The NZSFC does not support the proposed options. Instead we propose a moderate increase to the daily bag limit at 70 kina per person based on the average divers catch bag fitting approximately this amount.

The NZSFC supported the use of special permits to allow large scale removal or translocation of kina by hand-gathering while freediving or using underwater breathing apparatus.

Submission

In May 2024 the NZSFC worked with LegaSea, the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association (NZACA) and New Zealand Underwater Association (NZUA) to develop a submission in response to the FNZ proposals.

Our submissions discussed that increasing the SUR 1 daily bag limit and the use of special permits is not a long-term solution to addressing the issue of kina barrens. A lack of primary predators of kina such as large snapper and crayfish, have ultimately lead to the explosion of kina populations along the north east coast. Better management of these fish stocks are also needed to mitigate kina barrens.

If FNZ and the Minister want to make meaningful change to the current status of kina barrens an integrative management approach must be applied, incorporating targeted removals, translocations, proactive management of key predators and active habitat restoration.

Relevant Information

2024

Decisions

Advice to Minister

Submissions

Proposals