East Coast South Island - Set Net Prohibition

Set netting is prohibited between Cape Jackson in the Marlborough Sounds and Slope Point in the Catlins ─ offshore to four nautical miles.

Set netting is prohibited in the Avon-Heathcote Estuary, in Lyttelton Harbour, Akaroa Harbour and the bays around Banks Peninsula, and in Timaru Harbour.

With these variations:

• Kaikoura Canyon – for commercial fishers around the Kaikoura Canyon, set netting is banned offshore only to about one nautical mile
• Flatfish areas – for commercial and recreational fishers, set netting for flatfish is allowed between 1 April and 30 September in a designated area of inner Queen Charlotte Sound, and around Banks Peninsula in designated areas of inner Lyttelton Harbour, inner Akaroa Harbour, inner Port Levy and inner Pigeon Bay – provided fishers use specified flatfish nets (except for commercial fishers in the Queen Charlotte Sound who are already restricted to bait nets)

Flatfish nets are must be no more than 9 meshes deep, the monofilament diameter must be no more than 0.35 mm, the mesh size must be no less than 100mm, and the net must be anchored at each end, and must not exceed a total length of 60 metres.

The new prohibitions do not apply to harbours and estuaries (unless specified), nor to rivers, lakes, inlets and lagoons – subject to any other fisheries restrictions, you can use set nets in these areas inside a straight line joining the natural entrance points of the waterway. The regulations define these points in some cases because they are not always clear.

This information is only a guide to the new set net prohibition on the east coast. There are other set net prohibitions and restrictions in the Challenger Fishery Management Area and the Southern (South-East) Fishery Management Area – including a new prohibition to protect Hector’s dolphins on the west coast of the South Island. You must check for set net prohibitions and restrictions in the area where you plan to fish – before you go fishing. Check the Recreational section or call your nearest Ministry of Fisheries office. You can also purchase fisheries regulations at most bookshops.