Fisheries

Latest news

Strange fish behaviour has been captured by NIWA scientists working in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds.
NIWA may be coming to a boat ramp near you to learn more about the recreational fishing catch in New Zealand.
NIWA are studying the ocean off Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay to see how Cyclone Gabrielle has impacted the health of fisheries habitats and seabed ecosystems.
NIWA scientists have discovered the origins of cryptic markings found in Aotearoa New Zealand’s deep sea.

Our work

Fisheries New Zealand estimate that 600,000 people, or approximately 13 percent of New Zealand’s population, go recreational fishing in our waters annually.

Understanding the trends in these fisheries is key to ensuring sustainable fisheries across the country. To help build this picture, NIWA is contracted by Fisheries New Zealand to gather information about recreational fishing practices and catch from popular fishing locations.

Where and when?

Latest videos

Open wide: Snapper teeth secrets

NIWA and University of Auckland masters student Georgia Third is getting up close and personal with snapper guts and teeth to understand the differences between biologically distinct snapper populations in New Zealand.

Commercial catch sampling

The Otolith is the earbone of the fish and like the rings on a tree it can tell us about the story of the fish's life. NIWA has looked at 27000 otoliths in the last year each one contributing to the story of key species in the fishery.  Together this information informs managers about the growth, recruitment, and selectivity of the fishing gear which is crucial for managers to make sustainability decisions. Good management of a fishery requires good data. This video is a look at what goes into collecting that data. 

Antarctic science onboard NIWA’s RV Tangaroa

Researchers are working their way through a wealth of new Antarctic marine data after RV Tangaroa successfully completed its five week scientific voyage to the Ross Sea. Voyage leader and principal fisheries scientist Dr Richard O’Driscoll outlines the team’s busy research schedule examining biodiversity and ocean dynamics in the world’s largest marine protected area.

Check out more stories from the 2021 Antarctic voyage

RV Tangaroa: New Zealand’s world-class research vessel

The ideal research platform

NIWA proudly owns and operates RV Tangaroa, a 70 m Ice Class scientific platform.
The research vessel supports oceanographic and fishery surveys throughout the South Pacific, New Zealand, the sub-Antarctic islands and the Ross Sea.

The diverse range of modern and sophisticated equipment available onboard enables sampling and measurements to be taken from the sea surface, through the water column to the seabed and below.

Tangaroa is New Zealand’s only ocean-going research vessel, equipped with dynamic positioning, allowing her to remain stationary or track a precise path over the seabed, even in the often-challenging Southern Ocean environment.

The vessel is operated by 15 full time crew employed by NIWA, highly experienced in deploying, recovering and operating a broad range of scientific equipment.

The vessel can survey the seafloor to hydrographic quality, and is able to produce high-resolution imagery of the geology up to 200m below the seabed, and even deeper using NIWA’s multichannel seismic system.
NIWA can provide or source most key equipment required for ocean science including a range of fishing nets and acoustic sounders developed for fishery and water column surveys, varying models and makes of autonomous and remotely-operated underwater vehicles, an assortment of underwater cameras, seabed landers, and moorings.

Tangaroa is an ideal vessel for ocean exploration, atmospheric, fishery and marine geology research.

Our services and expertise

NIWA has more than 40 years of experience working in New Zealand’s marine realm and has conducted 14 voyages to Antarctica and many more in sub-Antarctic waters.
We provide world-class services and expertise, and can easily adapt to support new and innovative opportunities, making every project a success.

A robot sea craft is the latest tool NIWA scientists are using to help them count fish.
The NIWA research ship Tangaroa was chartered by the Ministry of Primary Industries to survey the hoki fishery on the Chatham Rise during January 2022.
A marine heatwave is happening all around New Zealand. Warmer waters are more pleasant for swimming in and can create wilder weather. But what do they mean for fishing? Let’s dive into the science behind getting a good catch.
Scallops are a shellfish delicacy precious to many New Zealanders. They are an important kaimoana species for tangata whenua and have long been a sought-after species for commercial and recreational fishers.
Snapper are a highly abundant and iconic fish species in Aotearoa New Zealand, valued by a variety of stakeholders and tangata whenua. This popularity can see snapper populations placed under pressure from fishing.
The ear bone of a snapper holds a wealth of information. However, it is not until you look at thousands of them that the picture of a population reveals itself. So where do you get 10,000 snapper ear bones from?
After 40 years of work, retired NIWA fisheries scientist Larry Paul has just published a 793-page bibliography of references to New Zealand marine fishes. Everything known and ichthyological that appears in our waters is referenced in the voluminous tome.
Surveying scallops populations with artificial intelligence

Together with the University of Canterbury and Fisheries NZ, NIWA has been working to develop a catch-free, non-invasive method of surveying scallop populations. Find out how...

What does science tell us about New Zealand lamprey?
What does science tell us about New Zealand flounder?
Some of the first research into how microplastics are affecting New Zealand fish species has revealed that microplastic fragments can find their way through the gut lining and into muscle tissue.
A lack of information about New Zealand oceanic shark populations is making it difficult to assess how well they are doing, says a NIWA researcher.
New Zealand’s native fish are doing their best to climb up ramps in a NIWA laboratory so scientists can learn how to better help them navigate our tricky waterways.
A NIWA researcher has found the first evidence that female deep sea sharks store sperm as a strategy to preserve the species and possibly avoid aggressive mating encounters.
RV Tangaroa undertook a 45-day voyage to the Southern Ocean and Ross Sea in January-February, 2021.
Hoki eggs reveal their secrets

A team of NIWA scientists, students and representatives from Fisheries NZ spent 6 days in the Cook Strait carrying out experimental work on hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae) to better understand their biology and improve abundance indices. 

Dr Jade Maggs talks about reef sharks

NIWA fisheries data manager Dr Jade Maggs took part in a global survey involving 123 scientists from 58 nations found that decades of over-exploitation have devastated entire populations of reef sharks in areas of close proximity of nearest market, poor governance and human population density. Data from 15165 video deployments across 371 reefs around the world confirmed that sanctuaries, closed areas, catch limits and an absence of gillnets and longlines are associated with a substantially higher relative abundance of reef sharks.

Underwater images provided by Global FinPrint.

The article, published in Nature, is available here: nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2519-y

To learn more about Global FinPrint:
globalfinprint.org/

Richard O'Driscoll, Programme leader - NIWA fisheries

Richard specialises in research aimed at improving estimates of fish abundance using acoustics, trawling, and complementary technologies. Since attaining his PhD from University of Otago in 1997, he has had extensive sea-going and practical fisheries experience both in New Zealand and overseas, including the Antarctic. Richard is the immediate past chair (2017-2019) of the ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics Science and Technology. He has worked at NIWA since 2000 and is currently a programme leader for NIWA's National Centre for the Fisheries Assessment and Monitoring programme.

Scientists are conducting snapper research off North Island’s west coast.
People along the Kapiti and Wanganui coast may spot NIWA’s research vessel Kaharoa operating close to shore in the next few weeks as scientists carry out a survey of snapper, tarakihi, red gurnard and John Dory.

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All staff working on this subject

Hydro-ecological Modeller
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Marine Ecologist - Quantitative Modeller
Principal Scientist - Fisheries
Population Modeller
Freshwater Fish Ecologist
Fisheries Population Modeller
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Principal Scientist - Fisheries Modeller
Regional Manager - Christchurch
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Fisheries Acoustics Scientist
Fisheries Scientist (Quantitative Stock Assessment)
Principal Scientist - Marine Ecology
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Marine Biosecurity Scientist
Fisheries Scientist
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Principal Technician - Fisheries
Spatial Fisheries Modeller
Marine Ecology Technician
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