Science Centres: Fisheries

Lithodes longispinus (long-spined king crab).

Surf clams (with marks to measure growth).

NIWA is gathering information for the development of new surf clam and deepwater crab fisheries for two new quota-owning companies, SurfCo and CrabCo.

These fisheries have recently been opened by MFish and have the potential for increased catch limits.

The new companies are interested in developing surf clam fisheries on the North Island’s east coast, and fisheries for king and red crabs off northern North Island. There are currently no deepwater crab fisheries in New Zealand, and only one surf clam fishery, in Marlborough.

As little is known about these species, we will initially use NIWA data on coastal and seabed habitats to identify suitable areas for exploratory fisheries. Fine-scale catch and effort data will be collected to estimate the size and productivity of the stocks and their responses to fishing. These data will be pivotal in determining appropriate catch limits and developing sustainable management strategies.

We have already identified Hawke Bay as a good place to start with surf clams, based on suitable beach profiles, wave energy, and water quality in the bay. We’ll use our seabed maps to identify likely habitat for the various species of deepwater crab.