On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Fisheries

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

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    New Zealand's Marine Realm

    News article
    NIWA has transformed 1.5 million square kilometres of data into the most accurate and detailed map yet of the land underneath the sea around New Zealand.
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    Tuna - freshwater eels in New Zealand

    Tuna is a generic Māori word for freshwater eels. The word will be used interchangeably in this resource.
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    Tuna - age and methods of ageing

    Currently, the most reliable method to estimate the age of tuna is by examination of their otoliths or "ear bones"
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    Population modelling software

    Casal2 is an advanced software package developed by NIWA for modelling the population dynamics of marine species.
  • Rig shark

    Research Project
    Rig shark is an important inshore commercial fish species in New Zealand, and we need to understand more about their habitats, movements, nursery grounds and vulnerability to human impacts to ensure they are managed sustainably and their productivity is enhanced.
  • Questions and answers about oyster disease Bonamia ostreae

    Media release
    NIWA is today issuing some scientific information on the parasite Bonamia ostreae, recently discovered in Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island, and the risk it poses to the Bluff oyster fishery.
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    Tuna - commercial fisheries

    Commercial eel fishery in New Zealand began in earnest in the 1960s and expanded rapidly until the early 1970s
  • Lake Castalia on the upper reaches of the Wilkin River North Branch near Wanaka. Image is looking southwest back down the valley.

    Environmental monitoring

    NIWA collects a vast range of environmental information about New Zealand’s environment from the sky to the seafloor.
  • Atlantis ecosystem model

    Atlantis is a 3D, spatially-explicit, trophodynamic ecosystem model that integrates biology, physics, chemistry and human impacts to provide a synoptic view of marine ecosystem function.
  • Paradise for eels? Getting to know the secrets of NZ's new icon

    Feature story
    As New Zealand's "Mr Eel", Niwa's Dr Don Jellyman has heard every tall tale. And some of them may be true.
  • Ecosystem monitoring

    The role of toothfish in the ecosystem.
  • Inputs into stock assessment

    Inputs into stock assessment