Pāua 3 subdivision 2020

DECISION: APPROVED

Introduction

On 2 June 2020 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) advised they were consulting on the subdivision of the Pāua 3 quota management area (PAU 3).

Commercial interests in Pāua 3 have developed a Fisheries Plan to better manage the harvest of pāua on the east coast of the South Island following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. An element of the Fisheries Plan was to subdivide PAU 3 into two smaller management areas.

Submissions were due on both the Fisheries Plan and the subdivision proposal by 2 July 2020. The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council submitted a response in support of the subdivision proposal on 1 July. Any changes would apply from 1 October 2020.

At the request of the Minister, Cabinet approved the subdivision of Pāua 3 in March 2021. An Order in Council was approved by the Governor-General in June and comes into effect on 1 October 2021. Details below.

Proposal

Fisheries New Zealand has proposed two options for the future management of Pāua 3: option 1 is dividing PAU 3 into two new areas 3N & 3S, split at the Conway River. Option 2 is the status quo. FNZ’s preferred option is subdivision.

If the subdivision is approved the changes will apply from 1 October 2020 and consultation on the new catch levels that will apply in each new area would occur prior to October 1st.

There are no proposed changes to recreational catch limits. In response to concerns about stock levels, the recreational daily bag limit was reduced from 10 to 5 per person, per day in 2019.

Submission

On 1 July 2020 the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council submitted in support of subdividing Pāua 3 into two smaller areas. We also submitted that the Minister needs to amend the Fisheries Act to ease restrictions on subdividing quota management areas. There are benefits to managing some species in smaller units.

Relevant information

2021

Approval

2020

Submission

Proposal

Research

2019

Fisheries plan