About urchin barrens
Urchin barrens are areas of rocky reef that are dominated by sea urchins. The areas would normally support healthy kelp forest but have little or no kelp due to overgrazing by sea urchins. This leads to a barren seafloor with a loss of habitat and biodiversity, impacting the overall health of coastal environments. Urchin barrens are prevalent in northeastern New Zealand and pose significant ecological risks as they expand, leading to the degradation of marine ecosystems.
Have your say
Fisheries New Zealand is seeking your views on management measures for the Northland spiny rock lobster fishery (CRA 1) to better manage the impact of fishing on urchin barren formation.
The feedback from this engagement will inform the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of the most appropriate measures to progress.
What is being proposed?
The management measures being considered include non-regulated measures implemented by the rock lobster industry, namely:
- voluntary harvest limits and voluntary area/seasonal closures for 2024-25.
Regulatory measures being considered:
- subdivision of the CRA 1 Quota Management Area
- adjustments to legal size requirements
- area and/or seasonal closures
- accumulation and/or vessel limits for recreational rock lobster fishing
- measures to reduce recreational fishing pressure on the packhorse rock lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi).
These proposals are part of Fisheries New Zealand’s integrated management approach to help address urchin barrens. This approach encompasses a suite of management initiatives aimed at restoring kelp forests and mitigating the adverse effects of urchin barrens. These measures follow the implementation of a range of tools to facilitate the removal of urchins.
Management measures which increase the abundance and size of urchin predators (including rock lobster and snapper) are needed to support kelp forest recovery in existing barrens and to prevent the formation of new urchin barrens.
These proposals follow on from the 2023 sustainability review of CRA 1 in which the Minister reduced the catch settings. The 2023 sustainability review was in response to a 2022 High Court Judgment (linked below), and has been subject to further Judicial Review.
Discussion document and summary
The summary document provides a high-level overview of the proposed measures. The full discussion document provides greater detail on the measures and wider considerations.
Management measures for the Northland spiny rock lobster fishery (CRA 1): full discussion document [PDF, 2.9 MB]
Management measures for the Northland spiny rock lobster fishery (CRA 1): summary document [PDF, 1.6 MB]
Making your submission
Email your feedback on the proposals by 5pm on 15 December 2024 to FMsubmissions@mpi.govt.nz
A template is available to help you complete your submission.
Submission form [DOCX, 81 KB]
While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:
2024 Management measures CRA 1
Fisheries Management
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.
What to include
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
- the title of the discussion document (Management measures for the CRA 1 Northland spiny rock lobster fishery)
- 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).
Related information
CRA 1 sustainability round review April 2023: Review of sustainability measures for fisheries – April 2023 round
2022 High Court judgment decision for Northland rock lobster [PDF, 413 KB]
SUR 1A and 1B sustainability round review October 2023: Review of sustainability measures for fisheries – October 2023 round
Review of the recreational daily kina limit in Fishery Management Area 1 (July 2024)
