b'Feature The current coalition government, led by Minister Shane Jones are proposing fishing reforms to favour the commercial sector and not the interests of everyday Kiwis.W hen a MinisterHARSH CHANGES ONthere are also options for seasonal is faced withTHE HORIZON or full closures for recreational a depletedFisheries NZ has commencedand commercial harvest of red fishery butpublic consultation on the futurerock lobster on the east coast of still wantsmanagement of crayfish on theNorthland and in the Gulf between to prioritiseNorth Islands upper east coast.Te Arai Point and Cape Rodney.increasingThe options are grim, reflecting theEven a nationwide reduction to the crayfishharsh reality we are faced with. bag limit for packhorse rock lobster exportsRock lobster populations in thefrom 6 to 3 is being considered.to China, recreational fishersHauraki Gulf and Northland areThe review of the management of are often the loser. at crisis point. In 2016, marinecrayfish is in response to the lack of Right now, theres a real chancescientists first described crayfishkeystone predators such as crayfish that our daily bag limit for red rockin the Gulf as functionally extinctcontributing to the explosion of lobster could be slashed in parts ofbecause so few remained thatkina populations. Kina devour Northland, Hauraki Gulf, and easterncrayfish could no longer play theirkelp forests and leave behind Coromandel to protect commercialvital role in the ecosystem. barren, unproductive habitats.catch limits from being cut. Despite recent bag limit reductionsIts important that crayfish If youre a keen fisher or carefrom 6 to 3, the public are againare managed at levels high about the future of our marineexpected to pay the price forenough that enable them to help environment now is the time tolong-term mismanagement. control kina or build natures speak up, by 22 September 2025. Alongside bag limit reductions,ability to bounce back.46FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE'