Crayfish 1 TAC review 2023

DECISION: APPROVED

Introduction

On 10 January 2023, Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) advised they were reviewing Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for rock lobster in Quota Management Area 1, CRA 1.

Catch reductions are required and the Minister must decide on how those reductions are applied, and whether the recreational daily bag limit needs to be reduced.

Across Northland, crayfish numbers have been severely depleted. In some areas along the northeast coast, people struggle to find any crayfish. Commercial fishing effort is now concentrated around the northwest coast and the Three Kings Islands.

A November 2022 High Court decision supports the need to increase the number of large crayfish so they can control the spread of kina barrens. The High Court judgment exposed gaps in poor advice given to the Minister prior to him making his earlier decisions for the future management of the Northland crayfish population.

Submissions were due by 8 February 2023.

A decision from Stuart Nash, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, to support FNZ’s Option 3 was issued on 30 March and applies from 1 April 2023.

Proposal

Fisheries New Zealand proposes reductions to the TAC, TACC and the recreational allowance applying in CRA 1. FNZ also propose a lower recreational daily bag limit for spiny rock lobster.

Table 1: Current and proposed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), allowances (in tonnes) and other allowances for CRA 1. Current and daily bag limit proposals for CRA 1.

Background

In 2022 the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) and a Northland hapū challenged decisions by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries for the future management of Northland crayfish (CRA 1) based on decisions made in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Recreational fishers supported the legal challenge and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council was a third party intervenor.

ELI successfully argued the Minister had been misled, using inaccurate and outdated information to make his decisions. The November 2022 High Court judgment exposed gaps in poor advice given to the Minister prior to making a decision for the future management of the Northland crayfish population. This prompted a review of the CRA 1 fishery in 2023.

In January 2023 Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) invited feedback on three options for the future management of Northland crayfish (CRA 1).  In our view, none of the options complied with the November High Court ruling.

Submission

Between January and March 2023, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council (NZSFC) worked with LegaSea, the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association and NZ Underwater Association, other organisations and individuals to develop a submission responding to the proposals by the 8 February deadline.

Recreational and environmental interests are concerned the Northland cray fishery has collapsed. Because of the decline in cray populations, our submission recommends the Minister cuts the total allowable commercial catch by 50%, from 105 to 52 tonnes, with no more than 10 tonnes to be harvested from the east coast area south of North Cape.

We also submitted that to improve the management of commercial catches and help restore crayfish numbers, the Minister must split the CRA 1 quota area at North Cape so he can limit the amount of fish taken from the east coast.

To inform our submission, LegaSea initiated an 11-day online survey targeted at Northland cray fishers. 548 individuals responded and shared their views on potential measures to control recreational and commercial catches.  

The majority of survey respondents supported a package that included conservative catch limits and a reduced recreational daily bag limit for the next five years, to contribute to a significant rebuild of the Northland cray fishery.

Relevant information

2023

Summary

Decision

Submission

Proposal

High Court decision