Glossary

Acoustic survey: a technique for determining how many fish are present in a population using echo-sounders.

Aggregate: the process where fish concentrate or group together.

Benthic Areas: areas at the bottom of the water column, including the seabed.

Code of practice: a document that details how commercial fishers have agreed to operate. A code of practice may include both voluntary measures and those required by law.

Deepwater stocks: those with a centre of distribution below 500 metres.

Demersal: occurring on or near the seabed.

Dressed fish: fish that have been scaled, gutted, and had gills removed. The head and tail are intact.

Drop/Dahn-lining: is a method suited for rocky areas and areas with vertical type terrain. Instead of horizontal bottom lines, vertical lines with snoods attached are used. Lines are secured by a weight and marked with a dahn buoy.

Endemic: restricted or peculiar to a particular location or region.

Fauna: organisms of the animal world.

Fisheries Management Areas: geographic areas that are used to define fish stocks.

Fish stock: a species of fish, shellfish or other marine life within a particular area of the country that is treated as one ‘unit’ by the fisheries management system. Catch allowances are set for commercial, recreational and customary fishers for each fish stock (area).

Mataitai: permanent reserves created in areas of traditional importance to Māori for customary food gathering. Tangata whenua manage and control non-commercial fishing through a local committee. Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki can recommend bylaws to manage customary food gathering, and issue customary food authorisations. Commercial fishing is not allowed unless recommended by the Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki. Māori and non-Māori may fish in mataitai reserves.

Middle depths: depths below the outer edge of the continental shelf and including the upper continental slope. In New Zealand this is usually considered to be between 200 and 800 metres.

Pelagic: occurring on or near the surface of the sea. Quota Management System (QMS): the term applied to New Zealand’s fishery management system that works by allocating rights to fish certain species as individual transferable quotas. A limit is set on the amount of certain each fish stock that may be taken in a given year.

Rahui: a ban on collecting/harvesting seafood in an area.

Rohe Moana: a particular area where Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki are appointed to manage customary food gathering.

Spawning: the process by which fish reproduce.

Taiapure: local coastal fisheries that recognise an area’s special significance to local iwi or hapū, either as a source of seafood, or for spiritual or cultural reasons. A major difference between mataitai and taiapure is that taiapure allow commercial fishing.

Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki: individuals or groups who can authorise customary fishing within their rohe moana, in accordance with tikanga Māori.