Have your say
Fisheries New Zealand is seeking your feedback on a proposal to subdivide the PAU3 Quota Management Area (QMA) into 2 smaller QMAs.
The fishery
PAU3 is the pāua fishery located along the Kaikōura and Canterbury coasts off the eastern side of New Zealand’s South Island. It extends from the mouth of the Clarence River in the north to the mouth of the Waitaki River in the south. PAU3 – South-East (Kaikōura Coast) is defined in Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Fisheries Act 1996 (the Act).
The fishery was significantly affected by the Kaikōura earthquakes, in particular the northern parts of the QMA where uplift damaged habitat and caused extensive mortality to pāua populations. Pāua fisheries are highly valued by customary, commercial, and recreational fishers.
The proposal
PAU3 Industry Association Incorporated (PauaMAC3), on behalf of PAU3 quota owners, have proposed that the PAU3 fishery be subdivided into 2 new QMAs. The proposed subdivision would divide the current area by a line starting from a point on land at the Conway River and proceeding in a straight line in a south-easterly direction to a point on the outer limit of the QMA.
The request to subdivide the QMA is made under sections 25 and 25A of the Act, and according to the terms set out in the ‘Agreement of Quota Owners Concerning Alteration of PAU3 Quota Management Area’ (Agreement) signed by over 90% of PAU3 quota owners.
Two options are presented for consideration.
Option 1
Under Option 1 the PAU3 QMA would be subdivided into 2 new QMAs by a line starting from a point on land at the Conway River (42°36.885′S and 173°28.113′E) and proceeding in a straight line in a south-easterly direction to a point on the outer limit of the QMA. The remaining boundaries of the 2 new QMAs would remain as currently described in Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act.
Map of PAU3 QMA current boundary [PDF, 680 KB]
Map of PAU3 QMA boundary proposed subdivision [PDF, 704 KB]
Map of proposed PAU3 northern boundary [PDF, 611 KB]
Map of proposed PAU3 southern boundary [PDF, 675 KB]
Option 2
Under Option 2 (status quo) the PAU3 fishery would continue to be managed as a single QMA.
The consultation
Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback and submissions on these options.
Should the Minister decide to subdivide the PAU3 QMA into 2 new QMAs, the PAU3 QMA will need to be altered under sections 25 and 26 of the Act, along with consequential amendments to fisheries regulations.
Subdivision of the QMA is a key component of the draft PAU3 Fisheries Plan, and consultation on the plan is being carried out in parallel with the proposal to subdivide the PAU3 QMA.
Consultation on the draft Pāua Fisheries Plan for PAU3
Consultation document
Discussion paper – Proposed subdivision of PAU3 Quota Management Area [PDF, 1.9 MB]
Background information
The November 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes caused significant uplift along parts of the PAU3 coastline north of the Conway River. Along with mortality of adult and juvenile pāua, the earthquakes damaged pāua habitat. As a result the PAU3 fishery now has 2 distinct topographic areas – the area south of the Conway River, and the area north of the Conway River (which is currently closed to commercial fishing under section 11 of the Act due to the earthquakes).
The long-term effects to the fishery have not been quantified, but may include impairment of recruitment as a result of juvenile habitat loss and lowering of carrying capacity and available harvestable yield.
Making your submission
Send us your feedback by 5pm on 2 July 2020. You can use email or post us your submission.
- Email: FMsubmissions@mpi.govt.nz
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Inshore Fisheries Management
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
What to include
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
- the title of the consultation document (if using email, put the title ‘PAU3 subdivision’ in the subject line)
- your preferred option, either Option 1 or Option 2
- your name and title
- your organisation's name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
- your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
Submissions are public information
Note, that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have good reasons for withholding them. That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.
MPI may post all or parts of any written submission on its website. We'll consider that you have consented to its publication, unless clearly stated otherwise in your submission.
