Management and Meeting Reports

Reports and Papers

The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council actively participates in many management, policy and science processes. It is our intention to report on those processes and any new developments as they occur.

In the list below the latest reports are at the top of the list....Click on the image to the right to read the report.

Report - KIngfish Monitoring report.  June 2016 

The Bay of Islands International Yellowtail Tournament has provided a valuable opportunity to measure a large number of fish at the same time every year. This helps monitor what is happening with the kingfish population in the years between the 5-yearly ageing projects. 

This work is funded by fishers, not the government. This project has the support of the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club, New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea. 

The graphs provided in this report enable you to follow the yearly development and growth of kingfish. You can download a copy of the report at the above link.  

Report - Gamefish Tagging Synthesis. April 2016 

There have been 2166 fish of 20 species recaptured in the New Zealand Gamefish Tagging Programme, to the end of June 2014. The recapture numbers are dominated by yellowtail kingfish (1462) and mako shark (368).

Satellite tagging of striped marlin in New Zealand waters has shown high survival rates of striped marlin post-release after the fish were caught with standard sport fishing methods and equipment. Striped marlin, mako and blue shark recaptures have been widely spread across the South Pacific. 

Report - Gamefish Tagging news. 8 July 2015 

The New Zealand gamefish season ended on 30 June 2015. The season was notable for the return of yellowfin tuna across a range of sizes in modest but encouraging numbers, and more success targeting swordfish.

Fishers often choose to keep the first gamefish of the seaon, for eating purposes. The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council encourages fishers to tag and release any subsequent catches of these prized species. 

Report - KIngfish Monitoring report.  June 2015 

Yellowtail kingfish are one of the premier sports fish in New Zealand. The number of recreational fishers targeting yellowtail has increased in the last five years. While many of the fish caught are released, the large size of the fish means that total harvest is significant.

In 2011-12 it was estimated that 64,700 yellowtail kingfish were kept by recreational fishers in New Zealand, for a total weight of 662 tonnes (+/- 11%). Most were caught by rod and line from boats, but land based and spearfishing methods also feature.   

Newsletter. Yellowtail kingfish newsletter.  26 February 2015

Blue Water Marine Research report. It has been a good year for kingfish catches. Kingfish is an increasingly popular target species for recreational fisher and divers. This project is collecting kingfish length and age data to monitor recruitment and exploitation rates in 2014-15. This will be compared to a similar survey five years ago. That survey found large numbers of 5 and 6 year olds, but few teenagers, especially in inshore waters. Areas like White Island are still producing some of the larger, older fish to be found in New Zealand.

Summary - NZSFC Crayfish submission summary. 23 February 2015 

In the most recent submission the Council advocates that the size and abundance of crayfish needs to be increased to ensure the public's recreational and customary needs are met. We need to mitigate the risks associated with low stock levels. amd sustain the crayfish stocks for future generations. Currently the Minister seems to have no idea what it's like to try and gather crayfish from waters that have been hammered in the pursuit of private profits. 

Report - Gamefish Tagging news. 14 December 2014 

There were 2263 fish tagged in the 2013-14 season, including 647 kingfish, 346 mako sharks and 116 blue sharks. It was a poor season for billfish, both landed and tagged totals were down. There were 468 striped marlin tagged, down from 745 in 2012-13, 4 black marlin and just 9 blue marlin tagged and released. We are hoping for a better season in 2015. 

Summary - National recreational harvest survey 2011-12. November 2014 

One page summary of the 145-page report below, National survey of recreational harvest estimates 2011-12. A NZSFC representative attended all 18 of the Ministry's working group meetings and one Ministerial meeting over the last 5 years of planning, implementation and review of this survey. It is the most comprehensive survey of recreational harvest undertaken in NZ. 

Report - National survey of recreational harvest 2011-12. November 2014 

New Zealand recreational fishers caught and kept 4,553,000 snapper, 1,170,000 kahawai and 682,500 blue cod in 2011-12.  These harvest estimates and those for many other species, along with methods used and the number of fishing trips, have been detailed in a report published by the Ministry for Primary Industries. 

Report - NZ billfish and gamefish tagging 2012-13. February 2014 

Release and recapture data for the 2012-13 season are summarised in this report and compared with the data from previous seasons. Particular recaptures that provide growth or movement information of significance or interest are described. The number of fish tagged and released in New Zealand this season (2263) was less than the ten year mean. 

Update - Ministry Pelagic management newsletter. July 2014 

An update from the Ministry for Primary Industries on the management and research for Highly Migratory Species. This update covers regional management of HMS species, shark tagging, seabirds, the HMS management plan and a Longline Code of Practice. 

Report - Bay of Islands KIngfish Monitoring report.  June 2014 

Weather conditions were marginal during the 2014 Bay of Islands Swordfish Club's International Yellowtail Tournament so boats were limited to where they could reasonably fish. The smaller size fish presented during this contest may represent the size of fish available just in the Bay of Islands area rather than the broader northeastern coastIne that is normally targeted during this contest. On the bright side, these fish may represent a new cohort entering the fishery, so it will be interesting to watch this in future years.  

Report - International Billfish Symposium. Taiwan. 4 - 8 November 2013 

Many of the world's leading players in the field of billfish research and up-and-coming scientists were at the 5th International Billfish Symposium in Taipei, Taiwan, in the first week of November. The focus was on the global conservation and sustainable management of billfishes. With support from the NZ Sport Fishing Council and Whangamata Ocean Sports Club John Holdsworth attended to present the early results from the marlin ID project led by Clive Roberts and Lara Shepherd from Te Papa. 

Report - Bay of Islands KIngfish Monitoring report.  June 2013 

This report provides updated information on kingfish caught in the 2013 Bay of Islands Swordfish Club's International Yellowtail Tournament. In 2010 just 14% of fish landed in the contest were 110cm or more. This year, 32% were this size or larger. This is very good news!

Report - NZ Billfish newsletter.  April 2013 

This report confirms there have been three tagged striped marlin recaptures so far in 2013. A big improvement from the 2011-12 season when zero recaptures were recorded. Two of this year's recaptures are short-term tags. The other was a longer term free swimming fish and had travelled much further, 1127 nautical miles. Read the details here.......

Meeting report - Manukau set net ban. 6 November 2012 

The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council hosted a meeting to discuss the proposed extension of the set net prohibition area in the Manukau Harbour. This meeting unanimously supported the protection of Maui dolphin, and rejected the proposed closure of around 66 square kilometres.  

Meeting report - Marine farming. 5 November 2012

Two New Zealand Sport Fishing Council representatives attended and participated in a meeting to discuss a proposed marine farm in Whangaroa Harbour, Northland. A local fisheries company has sought resource consent from the Northland Regional Council. Around 80 people attended this meeting, there was unanimous opposition to the proposed farm. 

Summary report - Tuna. September 2012 

An easy 2-page summary of the New Zealand Marine Research Foundation report describing the trends in Yellowfin Tuna catch in New Zealand and the Southwest Pacific. This includes graphs showing rapidly declining yellowfin captures in New Zealand and exponential growth in the longline catch of yellowfin in the Pacific. 

Report - Yellowfin Tuna Report 2012 

Yellowfin tuna has been an important target and bycatch species for recreational fishers for 30 years. It is the absence of smaller yellowfin, which have not arrived in any number for most of the last decade, that has been the main cause of the decline in the recreational fishery. This NZ Marine Research Foundation report describes and explains the trends in Yellowfin Tuna catch in New Zealand waters. It makes interesting reading....................

Report - Yellowtail KIngfish Monitoring report.  June 2012 

Kingfish are a highly valued catch for recreational and charter fishers around northern New Zealand. Since 2010 researchers have collected length and some age data from kingfish caught during the Bay of Islands Yellowtail Tournament. In 2012 some interesting results were produced......

Report - Yellowtail KIngfish Newsletter.  March 2012 

This report is a must-read if you want to know more about kingfish and what is happening to them on the northeastern coast, between North Cape and Cape Runaway. The number of 10 to 16kg kingfish is encouraging. It would be useful to track what happens to those fish in Northland to see whether they stay and grow bigger, disperse to other areas or get fished out.  

Report - Gamefish tagging update 23 January 2012

Release and recapture data for the 2010–11 season (July to June fishing year) are summarised in this report and compared with those from previous seasons. Particular recaptures that provide growth or movement information of significance or interest are described. 

Report - Highly Migratory Species Fish Plan meeting

25 November 2011

Commercial fishers report an increase in bluefin tuna catch rate, taking all of last year's Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) and in-season increase (550 tonne). Commercial albacore catch was up last season and skipjack catch was up in New Zealand waters, mainly because there were three NZ super-seiners rather than one fishing over summer. 

Report - Fisheries Commission meeting 

15 September 2011

This meeting was convened to discuss a range of important issues prior to attendance at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting in late September. Korea had proposed to ban night fishing. Purse seining around Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) was highly controversial due to the ongoing catch of juvenile Big Eye and Yellowfin Tuna. 

Report - Options to enhance recreational fishing

7 September 2011

In late June the Minister of Fisheries, Phil Heatley, invited eight people from the recreational sector to Wellington to discuss "options to enhance the recreational fishing experience". The Minister was keen to explore possiblities that were available within current legislation. This report covers the discussions before and during the Minister's meeting, and includes feedback sent to the Minister after the meeting. Click on the image to the right to read the report.

27 June 2011

A letter from the Minister of Fisheries inviting the NZSFC to a meeting to discuss options to enhance the recreational fishing experience. The NZ Recreational Fishing Council and a member from each of the Ministry's regional recreational fisheries forums would also be invited to the meeting, planned for late August/early September.

Report - 28N Rights explanation by MFish. 2008

When the Quota Management System was introduced in 1986 commercial catches in many inshore fisheries needed to be reduced. The government offered compensation to commercial fishers. Some fishers opted not to take compensation, they would instead wait for the stock to rebuild and they would claim what is now referred to as 28N rights. These are preferential rights to any increase in a Total Allowable Commercial Catch. For example, if the MInister increases the TACC for a gurnard stock the first people to receive an increase in quota shares (and catching rights) are the holders of 28N rights. Once the 28N rights are discharged the remaining TACC increase is shared amongst all quota shareholders in that stock. This paper from MFish provides a explanation for the origin and application of 28N rights.