Most commercial fishing for spiny rock lobster - better known as red crayfish - off Northland's east coast had already stopped under a voluntary industry closure. Photo: RNZ /Dom Thomas
Commercial and recreational fishing for crayfish off Northland's east coast will be banned from 1 April next year in a bid to stop the species' rapid decline.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said the closure of the rock lobster fishery was needed to give the species a reprieve and allow stocks to build up again.
Most commercial fishing for spiny rock lobster - better known as red crayfish - off Northland's east coast had already stopped under a voluntary industry closure.
The recreational limit for crayfish on Northland's west coast would be reduced to two per day, Jones said.
"This fishery is a priority for me and I'm aware people have concerns about low spiny rock lobster numbers. Rock lobsters play an important role in the marine ecosystem by helping keep kina numbers in check. The changes I am making will help restore balance by increasing the numbers and size of spiny rock lobsters in the fishery."
Jones commended the industry for already taking action to stop the decline in crayfish numbers.
However, he believed further measures for commercial and recreational fishers were needed to give the fishery the best opportunity for recovery.
With the inner Hauraki Gulf already closed to spiny rock lobster fishing earlier this year, the new restrictions will put the east coast and most of the waters from Northland to Coromandel Peninsula off limits to anyone hoping to catch crayfish.
To prevent fishers simply switching to packhorse crayfish, Jones said he had set a nationwide recreational catch limit of three packhorse crays per person per day.
More than 600 submissions were received when Fisheries New Zealand consulted on the closure between August and September.
The new rules, from 1 April 2026, will be:
- The CRA1 (northern rock lobster fishery) closure will extend from Ohao Point (just south of North Cape), including Pārengarenga Harbour, to Hauraki Gulf at Cape Rodney.
- The recreational daily catch limit for spiny rock lobster will be reduced to two per person per day in the rest of the CRA1 fishery, which includes the west coast of Northland.
- A portion of the CRA2 fishery will also close between Te Ārai Point and the inner Hauraki Gulf. The inner Hauraki Gulf fishery is already closed.
