Marine – Time out for tarakihi

Tarakihi is a kiwi icon. That’s what makes it so devastating that east coast tarakihi is the latest fish stock to collapse under the outdated Quota Management System.

Eight years ago, tarakihi on the east coast were already in trouble. We warned fisheries managers that decisive action was required to restore abundance. A ‘rebuild’ plan followed, promising the miracle required.

Fast forward to 2026, and there has been no rebuild. There are now fewer tarakihi in the water than there were in 2018.

The most recent stock assessment confirms the collapse, estimating that 92% of the adult population has been stripped from eastern waters. Urgent intervention is non-negotiable.

In July, Fisheries NZ proposed significant commercial catch reductions for tarakihi alongside cuts to the daily bag limit from 20 per day to either 10, 5 or 3 nationwide.

Commercial fishers harvest the vast majority of tarakihi taken from our waters. So while we all have a role to play in restoring abundance, an extreme cut to our bag limit won’t contribute significantly to rebuilding tarakihi numbers.

A complete closure to commercial harvest is the ultimate response for the east coast, but it’s tricky because tarakihi are caught in the mixed finfish trawl fishery alongside snapper, trevally and gurnard.

So, unless we ban trawling altogether, more tarakihi will be killed due to fishing, denying the species the break it desperately needs.

LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council submitted in support of the most extreme catch reduction on offer, giving tarakihi the best shot at rebuilding within a reasonable timeframe. This would set the commercial catch limit below current bycatch levels, making tarakihi a bycatch-only fishery – no more targeting it directly.

The real problem that must be addressed is trawling – 90% of tarakihi landed each year by commercial vessels comes from trawlers.

Bottom trawling impacts the availability of small creatures on the seafloor that tarakihi rely on for food. It also disrupts critical nursery habitats for baby tarakihi.

The answer lies in shifting away from destructive bulk-harvest fishing methods, towards more selective techniques such as longlining or potting, which would protect sensitive nursery habitats and minimise tarakihi caught as bycatch.

Tarakihi isn’t an isolated case. The diversity of marine life is dwindling across the board. Productivity in the Hauraki Gulf is tanking. For many of us, the classic Kiwi lifestyle of gathering kaimoana is slipping away. Now, our Friday night fish and chips are at risk.

That’s why in July, LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council rallied MPs on the steps of Parliament, pushing for real change to how our fisheries are managed.

This election year, join us in calling on political parties to commit to transitioning away from bottom trawling and investigate alternatives to the Quota Management System.

Because if we don’t make these necessary changes now, the marine environment and everyday Kiwis will keep paying the price for mismanaged fisheries and the ongoing exploitation of a public resource.