Applications and Videos

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) have developed several free services to make recreational fishing easier.

Smart Phone App

Get fish species information on-the-go with the MPI Recreational Fishing App. The app helps you to identify recreational fish species common in your area through images, then displays relevant information such as the minimum legal size, maximum daily limits and area bag limits. Short videos show how to release undersize fish correctly and also how to measure and determine the sex of crayfish. Local notices will give you updates on any temporary closures in the area.

The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Android Market – for more information, select an icon below or text the word APP to 9889 (it's free) and get the links sent to your phone.

Text your fish species

You can now get size restrictions and bag limits for fish species sent directly to your phone. To get an automatic text message, free text the fish species (e.g. snapper, kahawai, blue cod) to 9889. Download the list of species you can text below: 

 Text Your Fish Species (PDF 60KB)

Opt-in regional database

To get alerts about important notices for your area sent directly to your phone, free text an area name below to 9889. Texts are free and you can opt-out at any time.

• Auckland 
• Kermadec 
• Central 
• Challenger 
• Southeast 
• Fiordland 
• Southland

Videos

To view some helpful video guides about recreational fishing, netting, potting, paua and crayfish, click here.