Pāua fishing could soon be open for the first time in five years along the Kaikōura coastline.
The collection of shellfish, including pāua, and seaweed was haulted following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes which casued significant seabed uplift along the coast, impacting the marine environment.
Now, five years on Fisheries New Zealand say the pāua population has shown an overall increase in adult population and juvenile pāua abundance since the fishery was closed.
The Kaikōura Marine Guardians, a statutory advisory committee representing interests from across the sectors, has recommended options to reopen the pāua fishery later this year.
The options include new management measures for the recreational fishery such as lowering the daily limit per person, the introduction of vehicle and vessel limits, and a larger minimum legal size for pāua.
They say the measures are designed to ensure the rebuild of the fishery is not compromised.
Fisheries New Zealand is now seeking public feedback on these recommendations.
Fisheries New Zealand's manager for inshore fisheries south, Allen Frazer, says it’s the first time they have completely closed a fishery as a result of an earthquake.
"Since then we've undertaken rigorous monitoring and research to track the recovery of pāua over time," he says.
He says the research has provided a good baseline to measure the recovery of the fishery and where to focus attention in the future.
"The scientific research has shown an overall increase in adult and juvenile pāua abundance since the fishery was closed, particularly where there was less uplift. Most noticeably in the build-up of large pāua in areas close to shore."
Allen says pāua in the closed areas are now more easily accessible from the shoreline.
“This means although pāua are doing well, any way forward will need to take a precautious and adaptive approach to preserve the health and recovery of this important fishery."
Fisheries New Zealand is also seeking feedback on reopening the northern part of the closed area, extending beyond the Kaikōura Marine Area to Cape Campbell/Marfells Beach.
Feedback can be made online here and will close Monday, 5 July 2021.
