Hāpuku Bass 7 & 8 TAC Review 2022/23
DECISION: APPROVED
Introduction
On 14 December 2021 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) advised they were reviewing Total Allowable Catch (TAC) allowances for hāpuku and bass in Quota Management Areas 7 & 8 (HPB 7 & 8). The Minister now must decide on setting new or retaining current TAC allowances for the two areas, including allowances for the annual harvest by Māori customary and recreational fishers and other recreational controls.
Submissions were due by 8 February 2022. A Ministerial decision was expected in late March and any changes would apply from 1 April 2022.
On 29 March the Minister, David Parker, announced his approval for Option 3, an option added by FNZ post-consultation to apply in HPB 7, setting a TAC, recreational, customary and other mortality allowances, decreasing the commercial allowance, and introducing recreational controls.
The Minister announced his approval for Option 2 in HPB 8, setting a TAC, recreational, customary and other mortality allowances, decreasing the commercial allowance, and introducing recreational controls. All details are below.
Proposal
Fisheries New Zealand proposed to set TACs and allowances for HPB 7 & 8, as well as a reduction in daily bag limit and introduction of accumulation limits in both areas.
Table 1: Proposed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), allowances (in tonnes), other allowances and recreational controls for HPB 7. Source: Fisheries New Zealand.
Table 2: Proposed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), allowances (in tonnes), other allowances and recreational controls for HPB 8. Source: Fisheries New Zealand.
Submission
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council worked with LegaSea and other national representative organisations including NZ Angling & Casting Association and NZ Underwater Association to develop a submission in response to the FNZ proposals.
The submitters called for setting TACs plus recreational, customary and other mortality allowances in HPB 7 & 8. We called for a reduction in TACC for both areas, and removal of hāpuku & bass from a combined daily bag limit with kingfish, instead reducing the daily bag limit to 2 per fisher per day, with a 4-max accumulation limit. These measures, in addition to others, ensure the economic, social and cultural needs of the fishery are met while hāpuku & bass populations in these areas rebuild.
We called for a reduced daily bag limit in support of recreational fisher contribution to help rebuild hāpuku & bass populations in both areas. An introduction of an accumulation maximum of 4 per person recognises hāpuku & bass caught in these areas are smaller than further North, and allows for economic, social and cultural wellbeing of fishing in these areas.
Relevant Information
2022
New rules
New catch limits for recreational hāpuku and bass. Minister. 23 Nov 2022
Minister David Parker has approved changes to the daily bag limit for hapuku and bass catches in the most popular areas around NZ. These changes were consulted on in 2021 & 2022. The new rules apply from 28 November 2022.
Minister’s Decision
Minister's decision. Multiple stocks for April 1. March 29 2022.
Minister’s decisions for multiple stocks. Changes apply from April 1 2022. Letter. March 29 2022.
Fisheries New Zealand
Final advice to Minister 1 April stocks. FNZ. March 2022.
Fisheries New Zealand final advice paper and recommendations to the Minister on multiple stocks for 1 April 2022. Includes Minister’s decisions. March 2022.
Submissions
Submission. Hāpuku-Bass central (HPB 7 & 8). Joint recreational. 8 Feb 2022
Joint recreational submission urging the Minister to reduce commercial catch limits to help rebuild depleted numbers of hāpuku around the top of the South Island and lower North Island. Submission by NZ Sport Fishing Council-LegaSea, NZ Angling & Casting Association and NZ Underwater. 8 February 2022.
Submissions to April 2022 HPB 7 & 8 Review. Feb 2022.
Collation of submissions from organisations and representative groups on HPB 7 & 8 review for 1 Apr. Submissions dated Feb 2022. Collation by Fisheries NZ. Mar 2022. [16MB]
Submissions to April 2022 review, part 2. Feb 2022.
Collation of submissions from large organisations and representative groups on multiple stocks review for 1 Apr. Submissions dated February 2022. Collation by Fisheries NZ. Mar 2022. [27MB]
2021
Proposal
Proposal. Hāpuku-Bass 7 & 8 TAC review. FNZ. December 2021.
Fisheries New Zealand proposal to change the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in Hāpuku-Bass 7 & 8. These areas span the West Coast of the lower North Island and upper South Island, including the Cook Strait. Submissions due by 8 February 2022.