Recreational fishing rules for the Fiordland area, including closures, restrictions, and other important notices.
What you need to know
Map of Fiordland fishing area.
This area (Te Moana o Atawhenua), covers the Fiordland coastal marine area out to 12 nautical miles from Awarua Point to Sandhill Point, excluding the area around the Solander Islands.
All recreational fishing – including potting, netting and all other fishing methods – is covered by rules.
Remember, if you're a recreational fisher, selling any fish or shellfish you catch is illegal.
In the Fiordland area there is a combined daily bag limit of 30 finfish, consisting of any combination of the species listed on the following table. Individual species limits must not be exceeded.
Accumulation of finfish beyond the daily limit is prohibited. Possession of fish above species limit or combined maximum daily bag limit is unlawful.
There is no limit on finfish species not listed below.
Finfish Species
Min fish length (cm)
Max daily limit per fisher
Barracouta
-
30
Blue Cod - internal waters (excluding Doubtful, Thompson and Bradshaw Sounds)
33
3
Blue Cod - Doubtful, Thompson, Bradshaw Sounds internal waters
33
1
Blue Cod - Outside internal waters of Fiordland
33
20
Blue Moki
40
15
Bluenose
-
5
Blue Shark
-
1
Bronze Shark
-
1
Butterfish/Greenbone
35
15
Eels
-
6
Elephant Fish
-
5
Flatfish
25 (except sand flounder which is 23)
30
Grey Mullet
-
30
Groper/Hapuku/Bass - internal waters sub limit
-
3
Groper/Hapuku/Bass - other areas (inlcudes the limit of 3 from internal waters)
Shellfish are take when they cannot freely return to the water e.g. placed into a catch bag or similar. At no time while gathering may you be in possession of more than your daily limit.
Shellfish Species
Max daily limit per fisher
Min size (mm)
Cockle
150
none
Kina (sea eggs)
50
none
Mussels
25
none
Oysters – Dredge† (Season: 1 Mar to 31 Aug)
50
58
Paua – Ordinary black foot* – Yellow foot*
10 10
125 80
Pipi
150
none
Scallops *† (Season: 1 Oct to 15 Mar)
10
100
Tuatua
150
none
All others (combined) •
50
none
* No accumulation of paua or scallop daily limits within the Fiordland Marine Area.
† A diver or divers on a vessel may gather an additional bag limit of oysters or scallops for up to two people acting in a dive safety capacity on the vessel.
• This is a combined, mixed-species bag limit. It applies to all shellfish species not specifically named above and includes all crabs, catseyes, cook’s turban, limpets, starfish, periwinkles and freshwater crayfish (koura).
Maximum of 6 rock lobster (both species combined) on any one day.
Maximum of 3 taken from within the Milford Sound internal waters of Fiordland.
Spiny rock lobster minimum size
Measure the tail width in a straight line between the tips of the two large (primary) spines on the second segment of the tail. If you are unsure of the sex, use the 60mm measurement.
Packhorse lobster minimum size
Measure the tail length along the underside in a straight line from the rear of the calcified bar on the first segment to the tip of the middle fan of the tail. Must have a tail length of at least 216mm (male and female).
Accumulation Limit
Accumulation means having in your possession fish/shellfish caught/gathered over more than one day. In Fiordland there is a 3-day accumulation limit of 15 rock lobster, no more than 3 may be taken from the Milford Sound internal waters of Fiordland.
Additional rules and protections
There are rules and protections for gathering rock lobster/crayfish that cover: protected types, gathering methods, pot construction and use. For more details check the:
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