Finfish
Bag limits and size restrictions
In the Southland Fishery Management Area there is a combined daily bag limit of 30 finfish per person, consisting of any combination of the species listed on the following panel, as long as the individual species limits are not exceeded.
| Finfish species |
Maximum daily limit per fisher |
Finfish species |
Maximum daily limit per fisher |
| Barracouta |
30 |
Porbeagle shark |
1 |
| Blue cod |
20 |
Quinnat salmon |
2 |
| Blue moki |
15 |
Red cod |
10 |
| Bluenose |
5 |
Red gurnard |
30 |
| Blue shark |
1 |
Red moki |
15 |
| Bronze shark |
1 |
Rig |
5 |
| Butterfish/Greenbone |
15 |
School shark |
5 |
| Eel |
6 |
Seven gilled shark |
1 |
| Elephant fish |
5 |
Skate ray |
5 |
| Flatfish |
30 |
Snapper |
30 |
| Grey mullet |
30 |
Spiky dogfish |
15 |
| Hammerhead shark |
1 |
Stargazer |
30 |
| Kahawai |
15 |
Tarakihi |
15 |
| Lamprey |
30 |
Thresher shark |
1 |
| Ling |
30 |
Trevally |
30 |
| Mako shark |
1 |
Trumpeter |
15 |
| Marblefish |
30 |
Warehou |
15 |
| Marlin |
1 |
Wrasse |
30 |
Species daily limits
Additionally, there are individual limits, over and above the combined bag, for groper/hapuku/bass and kingfish. These species have a combined daily limit of 5 (with no more than 3 kingfish). There is no limit on species not named above.
Length measurement
Finfish length is measured from the tip of the nose to the end of the middle ray or "V" of the tail fin (as shown in diagram).
Protection of White pointer shark
No person may take or possess any White pointer shark.
Minimum mesh sizes
There are restrictions on net mesh sizes for taking particular species. In some cases the minimum mesh sizes for set nets are different from the minimum sizes for other nets such as drag nets.
- The minimum mesh size for eel fyke nets or traps is 12 mm.
| Finfish species |
Minimum fish length (cm) |
Minimum set net mesh size (mm) |
| Blue cod |
33 |
100 |
| Blue moki |
40 |
114 |
| Bluenose |
- |
160 |
| Butterfish/Greenbone |
35 |
108 |
| Elephant fish |
- |
150 |
| Flatfish (except Sand flounder) |
25 |
100 |
| Garfish (piper) |
- |
25 |
| Groper/Hapuku/Bass |
- |
160 |
| Herring (Yellow eyed mullet) |
- |
25 |
| Kahawai |
- |
90 |
| Kingfish |
75 |
100 |
| Grey Mullet |
- |
90 |
| Pilchard |
- |
25 |
| Red cod |
25 |
100 |
| Red gurnard |
25 |
100 |
| Red moki |
40 |
115 |
| Rig |
- |
150 |
| Sand flounder |
23 |
100 |
| School shark |
- |
150 |
| Snapper |
25 |
125 |
| Tarakihi |
25 |
100 |
| Trevally |
25 |
100 |
| Trumpeter |
35 |
100 |
| All Others |
- |
100 |