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Let's
go fishing
Preview
Fishing is part of the New Zealand way of
life. Thousands of New Zealanders go fishing in their spare
time each year.
Why fish?
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For
sport
Some people take fishing very seriously. They belong
to clubs, buy all sorts of fancy equipment, and enter
competitions to see who can catch the biggest fish.
Sport
fishers like to catch trout or kahawai because they
are good "fighting fish" and fun to catch.
Some fishers, having enjoyed the thrill of the catch,
carefully return their fish to the water alive. (And
we must always put the undersized ones back quickly,
while they are still alive.)
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Big
game fishers often have their catch (eg, a shark or swordfish)
carefully weighed and measured and photographed. Some people
have their trophy stuffed and proudly mounted on the wall.
For
food
Fresh fish is nice to eat, and many people enjoy eating what
they catch fresh from the sea.
For
many people, the fish they catch is an important part of their
diet. They might catch fish or shellfish to help make the
weekly food budget go further, or fish might be an important
part of their traditional diet (eg, Maori or Pacific Island).
For
fun
For most of us, fishing is an excuse to get outdoors and spend
a day by the water. If the fish aren't biting we've at least
got some sun and fresh air. And if they are biting there's
the bonus of a meal of fresh fish.
Where
do we fish?
Fresh
water
There are fish to be caught in most lakes and rivers. Some
of them, like trout and salmon, are not native to New Zealand.
They take special skills, equipment and patience to catch,
and you need a fishing licence. Eels are a traditional Maori
and European delicacy.
The
sea
The easiest place to catch a fish is in the sea. If you are
lucky enough to get out in a boat, there are plenty of good
fishing spots right around the coast of New Zealand. But you
don't have to go miles out to sea to catch a fish. Plenty get
caught off the wharf, rocks or beach.
How
do we catch them?
Line
fishing
There are many kinds of line fishing. There is the simple
handline, hook, bait and sinker for fishing off the wharf.
And for the "experts" there are expensive rods and
sophisticated reels for casting a line out to sea from the
beach or rocks, or trolling behind a boat. Instead of a hook
with bait on it, some fish are caught with a hook on a special
lure (eg, trout or kingfish).
Nets
There are many different kinds, for example, set nets or drag
nets. There are different mesh sizes for different kinds of
fish.
Pots
These are special traps, usually for catching rock lobster
or crabs.
Diving
Using a snorkel or scuba equipment you can meet fish in their
own environment. Divers use spearguns for catching fish. Rock
lobsters and shellfish are collected by hand (but scuba is
not allowed for collecting mussels or paua).
Collecting
Many shellfish can be collected at low tide from rocks (eg,
mussels) or in the sand (eg, cockles).
Dredging
Shellfish such as scallops and oysters live in deeper
water. They can be caught by towing a kind of metal net,
or dredge, along the bottom behind a boat. |
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What
do we catch?
New Zealand recreational fishers catch dozens of types of fish
and shellfish. The most popular ones are caught because they
are good to eat. Some less widely known fish are regarded as
a special delicacy by Maori, eg, lampreys, hagfish, kina.
Some
of the most popular sea fish are: snapper, butterfish, mackerel,
blue cod, mullet, blue moki, kahawai, tarakihi, barracouta,
gurnard, flounder, John dory, kingfish, red cod, rig, trevally,
parore, school shark and wrasses (eg, spotties).
 Some
of the most popular shellfish are: scallops, pipi, oysters,
kina, mussels, tuatua, paua and rock lobster.
In
fresh water, the most popular catches include: trout, whitebait,
salmon (also caught in salt water), "coarse" fish,
like perch, and eels.
Are there any rules about recreational fishing?
Yes, there are. Because we want to protect the environment and
make sure there are enough fish for future generations, we have
to set limits on what we catch. It is illegal for recreational
fishers to sell their catch.
Remember,
the limits on what we can catch are actually quite generous.
You don't have to fish until you have reached your bag limit,
which is the amount recreational fishers are allowed to take
daily - just catch what you can use and leave the rest for another
day!
Sea
fish
For some fish there is a limit to the number each person
can take in a day, and the size of the fish that can be
taken. There are also rules about how we catch them, for
example the kind of nets and lines we use. |
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Shellfish
Paua and mussels aren't allowed to be taken using scuba gear.
There are bag limits and size limits on the most popular shellfish.
Some, like toheroa can't be taken at all unless there is a special
season. Some shellfish can be taken only at certain times of
the year.
Rock
lobster
Rock lobsters are a real delicacy and very popular. There
are strict rules about how they can be caught and a size limit
depending on what sex and what species they are. You are not
allowed to take females that are carrying eggs, or to take
rock lobsters in the "soft shell" stage around moulting.
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Who
enforces the rules?
The
rules about recreational and commercial fishing in the
sea are administered by the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish).
MFish Compliance Officers and Honorary Fisheries Officers
work directly with the fishing industry and members
of the public, helping people understand the rules and
checking to make sure they are not broken. (The penalties
for breaking the amateur fishing regulations can include
a very big fine, and confiscation of fishing gear, boats,
etc.)
Rules
about fishing inland waters (rivers, lakes, etc) are
administered by the Department of Conservation.
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There
aren't so many fish these days - whose fault is it?
Some fish and shellfish are harder to find than they used to
be. Sometimes their numbers go down through natural causes,
or because a factor such as pollution has affected their environment.
But usually it is because too many have been caught.
Recreational
fishers and commercial fishers tend to blame each other for
all the fish being taken. While it's true that commercial
fishers take the largest amount, they also have to follow
strict rules about how much they can catch. And recreational
fishers also take quite a few fish. For example, about one
in every four snapper and one in every four kahawai taken
in northern waters around New Zealand are caught by recreational
fishers.
The
truth is that everyone - recreational fishers like you and me,
and the fishing companies - shares a responsibility for helping
conserve our stocks of fish and shellfish.
For
more information click on any link below.
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