Fisheries

Balancing the sustainability of our fisheries stocks and the impacts of fishing on the environment with the economic opportunities

  • Novel underwater selection tools for environmentally and economically sustainable fishing

    Research Project
    This NIWA-led, three-year project developed a high-tech protype system to minimise bycatch of unwanted species in trawl gear.
  • NIWA’s freshwater ecologists helping regional councils remove the barriers to fish migration

    News article
    About 76 per cent of indigenous freshwater fish species, that’s 39 out of 54, are threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened.
  • Snapper

    Open wide: snapper teeth secrets

    News article
    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.
  • Casal2 software logo

    Population modelling software Casal 2

    Software Tool/Resource
    Casal2 is an advanced software package developed by NIWA for modelling the population dynamics of marine species.
  • The impacts of marine heatwaves on ecosystems and fisheries in Aotearoa New Zealand

    Fisheries & ecosystems

    NIWA will be determining the impact of fisheries on the aquatic environment. This will inform an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and the development methods to mitigate this impact.
  • International fisheries

    NIWA aims to develop and apply standardised methodologies to monitor and assess international fisheries outside the New Zealand EEZ and determine the environmental effects of fishing in these areas.
  • Image of snapper mortality research

    Fisheries stock assessments

    Service
    To get the most benefit from a fish stock in the long term, we need to maximise our yield without damaging the fish population we rely on.
  • Researchers to unveil Antarctic secrets

    Media release
    As New Zealanders search for the summer sun, 38 researchers and crew will board RV Tangaroa tomorrow for a six-week science voyage deep into the waters of Antarctica.
  • New research indicates careful fish handling helps support sustainable fisheries

    News article
    Initial data suggests careful handling of released snapper could help fishers save thousands of fish annually.
  • RV Tangaroa: New Zealand’s world-class research vessel

    NIWA proudly owns and operates RV Tangaroa, a 70 m Ice Class scientific platform.
  • Going easy on the scallops

    Feature story
    From scallop beds to trawl nets, a little bit of data science can make a big difference. Melissa Bray explains.
  • What’s in a fish’s ear?

    Feature story
    The tiny ear bone of a fish holds a wealth of information. Gather enough and you get a snapshot of what’s happening beneath the waves. Stuart Mackay explains.