Fisheries

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

  • 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.
  • Snapped! Tag reveals fish’s 20-year history

    Media release
    A fish has been caught in the same location that it was tagged, nearly 20 years ago to the day.
  • PIT tag

    Snapped! Tag reveals fish’s 20-year history

    Media release
    A fish has been caught in the same location that it was tagged, nearly 20 years ago to the day.
  • Chasing deepsea shadows

    Feature story
    Mia Blyth catches up with a marine biologist hunting for ocean ghosts.
  • Removing barriers to ensure freshwater fish can complete their life cycle

    Media release
    New Zealand has just over 50 native freshwater fish species. Of these, 85 % are endemic and 75 % are deemed to be at risk of decline or are threatened.
  • Open wide: snapper teeth secrets

    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.
  • Cultural Keystone Species

    Research Project
    A four-year research programme focused on the co-management and restoration of our freshwater taonga species.
  • A robot sea craft helps count fish

    A six-metre-long autonomous vessel is equipped with artificial intelligence and a range of data gathering equipment, including a battery powered echosounder that can estimate the size of fish populations.
  • Cutting-edge AI sea craft helping scientists count fish

    Media release
    A robot sea craft is the latest tool NIWA scientists are using to help them count fish.
  • Mapping the oceans through citizen science

    The Seabed 2030 South and West Pacific Ocean Data Center is one of four global Regional Centres, each being responsible for data gathering and mapping in their territory.