Science Centres: Fisheries

NIWA has detected record numbers of young hake on the Chatham Rise in its annual multi-species fish abundance survey. It’s the first time the survey has seen two-year-old hake since 1994, and the numbers suggest there may be more juvenile hake on the Chatham Rise now than in any year since the surveys began in 1992, says Dr Mary Livingston of NIWA.

The survey is funded by the Ministry of Fisheries from industry levies, and covers all QMS species, as well as other species such as rattails and javelinfish. With 13 years consistent data, it provides the best available information for industry, MFish, and NIWA to assess changes in the fishery.