Finfish

Daily limits per person

In the Central Fishery Management Area there is a combined daily bag limit of 20 finfish, consisting of any combination of:

There is no limit on species not named above.

Additionally, individual limits, over and above the combined bag, apply to:

Snapper: a daily bag limit of 10.
Groper/Hapuku/bass and kingfish: a combined daily bag limit of 5 with no more than 3 kingfish.
Freshwater eels: a daily bag limit of 6.

Length measurement

Finfish length is measured from the tip of the nose to the “V” in the tail (as shown in diagram).

Line fishing

• All surface floats attached to any line must be marked permanently and legibly with the fisher’s initials and surname.
• No person may use or be in possession of more than one line (other than handlines or rod and reel lines).
• No person may use or possess a line with more than 25 hooks.
• Where more than one person is using a line from a vessel (other than rod and reel lines), no more than two lines (other than rod and reel lines) may be used, set from or possessed on board that vessel.

Eels

No person shall take any eels from Lake Horowhenua or the Hokio Stream unless that person does so in exercise of fishing rights pursuant to Section 18 of The Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Act 1956.

General netting restrictions

• No person may set or possess more than one drag net, set net, fyke net, or any other type of net at any one time.
• Nets must be hauled by hand.
• Any net or nets used either individually or jointly must not extend across more than one-quarter of the width of any river, stream, channel, bay or sound.
• No person may set or use a baited net (except fyke nets).

Set net

• Only one set net is allowed to be used from, or be on board any vessel. (An additional baitfish net is allowed so long as it is less than 10 metres long and has a mesh size of 50 mm or less).
• Must not exceed 60 metres in length.
• Must not be set within 60 metres of another net.
• Must not be secured by stakes (except fyke nets).
• Each end of a set net must have a surface float marked permanently and legibly with the fisher’s initials and surname.
• Must not be used in a way that causes fish to be stranded by the falling tide.

Drag net

• Drag nets must not exceed 40 metres in length.
• Total warp length must not exceed 200 metres.

Size and method restrictions

• The minimum mesh size for drag nets is 100 mm.
• The minimum mesh size for eel fyke nets or traps is 12 mm.

Closed areas

• Set netting prohibited in Pauatahanui inlet (see map 1).
• There are set netting restrictions around Cape Runaway. Contact your local Fisheries office.
• There are also some closed areas not specified in this publication. Contact the Ministry of Fisheries for the exact locations.
• Pukerua Bay, handlines only to be used.