Thread: Marlborough Sounds Cod Closed Season

Was just looking at some fishing related sites and read that the closed season has been extended until the 10th of Jan ?
When , Why , Who decided this ?
Doesn’t really effect me because of my dates that I’ll be back in residence , but that puts a big dent in the Christmas period fishers who have a small window over the Christmas break .

That's the point

Having fished Cod in my local area since 1988 I can categorically say that the Cod fishery hasn’t been better than now for many years.
I get what is trying to be accomplished and I agree with the idea .
I’m also the beneficiary of its results and by the sounds of it I will benefit even more now .
But I question everyone else being contained/ restricted / controlled in a fishery that has shown its health and continues to improve and flourish under recent measures.

100%control over the spawning population over Xmas / new years, ..

No idea who thought this up ..this is the time / water temp when snapper , cod and gurnard spawn as water temp hits 19 /20 degrees

It was announced recently, and the decision was made after surveying fishermen last season.

It was interesting to read the studies and survey data that they completed before making the decision, of surprise to me was how high the mortality rate is for undersized cod released back into the water, gut hooks and poor handling, along with a raft of other contributing factors.

Interesting read if you have time:

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/...tion-document/

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/...-Group-Report/

Originally Posted by Fat belly Dog

It was interesting to read the studies and survey data that they completed before making the decision, of surprise to me was how high the mortality rate is for undersized cod released back into the water, gut hooks and poor handling, along with a raft of other contributing factors.

Interesting read if you have time:

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/...tion-document/

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/...-Group-Report/

That’s actually very interesting and informative.
I realise now that my location etc isn’t really indicative of the whole Sounds and I hadn’t really considered more populated/ higher pressure scenarios and locations.
So…. I’m just thankful for what I have on my doorstep, and hope these measures improve the resource elsewhere.

The mortality rates of released fish has always been a hot topic,the HANDLING of said fish makes a huge difference to survival. Allowing fish to spawn in peace makes sense if numbers are low...just because fishing is easier does not make it better for fish stock/ numbers.

My experience in the Sounds with cod is that there is definitely no shortage of them numbers wise. Small cod are in plague proportions is some places. It does make me wonder what it is doing to the biodiversity of the fishery as a whole. Cod are veracious feeders and will eat pretty much anything that moves that is smaller than them. Other species must struggle when the cod numbers are high.

As a KERR from Fyfeshire Rock, and frequent four generations of fishers in the Marlborough Sounds, we followed this process very closely.
Although time has fudged some detail I'll try to re-cap the history, briefly.
* 2008 Labours Min of Fisheries, Jim Anderton close the recreational only (excluded commercial) for four years to allow the fishery to recover. Based on the 2007 NIWA Size and Abundance Survey, which showed the fishery was heavily depleted. (This was always contentious with Marlborough fishers, who claim the NIWA survey was done incorrectly) Labour was voted OUT at the end of 2008.
*On April Fools Day 2011 Nationals, Nathan Guy, re-opened the Sounds, (only to safeguard the popular vote in Marlborough in the 2011 Elections)
*The April Fools Day 2011 regulations include the "Slot Fisher" which only allowed Fisher to take cod between 30 and 33cm (Check?). The mortality of returned fish, both large and small was close top 100% due to shag and cuda predation, but also rough handling and blood loss (Cod blood does not clot, so once they are bleeding they are as good as dead). The Slot Fishery decimated the fishery.
*It took from 2011 to 2015 for Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association, LEGASEA, residents association, and the Coalition of the Combined Club of Wellington to abolish Nathan Guys "Slot Fishery."
*On 20 December 2015 the Marlborough Sounds Recreational Blue Cod Fishery reopened with those rules remaining in force up until these most recent changes. Those rules included; A closed season for spawning from 1 Sept to 20 Dec annually. The closed season was made to apply to Commercial Blue Cod Fishing within the Sounds, as well as Recreational, increased Minimum Legal Size to 33cm the same as Wellington, Daily Bag Limit reduced to 2 fish per person per day, accumulation limited to two days only when on a trip, two hooks only per rig, a protected area around Maude Island in the Pelorus Sound, and maybe some other stuff which I have forgotten. Basically we got all of the changes which we challenged MPI on.
*It is encouraging to see that current fishers, commenting here, are reporting the fishery is now healthy. My family concurs with that observation. I was always confident the 2015 rule would be effective in increasing size and abundance (the two measures).
*Re the Closed spawning season being pushed out to 10 January; it was always contentious with Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association that Wellington and Christchurch fishers could come and "PLUNDER" the fishery over Christmas, after Marlborough residents had just "ENDURED" and three month closure. Hence the current move (which I hadn't heard of until just now) to push the closure through to January. There goes Christmas holidays at the bach, or on the mooring block.
The structure is: Government - MPI - Marlborough Sounds Recreational Blue Cod Group (if it still exists) - Commercial - Iwi - Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association - Resident Associations etc..... So the current 10 January decision would have been made within that talk fest.
Please fish sustainable. With good guardianship and care, this fishery should be abundant for future generations.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Cod are veracious feeders and will eat pretty much anything that moves that is smaller than them. Other species must struggle when the cod numbers are high.

Ive always maintained that if blue cod were the size of a grouper, there'd be no paua divers

This comment is interesting and comes up a bit:

"Re the Closed spawning season being pushed out to 10 January; it was always contentious with Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association that Wellington and Christchurch fishers could come and "PLUNDER" the fishery over Christmas, after Marlborough residents had just "ENDURED" and three month closure. Hence the current move (which I hadn't heard of until just now) to push the closure through to January. There goes Christmas holidays at the bach, or on the mooring block"

I have a launch berthed at Waikawa but live in Canterbury. I suspect that, even over Christmas/New Year, we don't "plunder" the fishery any more or less than the so-called locals, and we also "endure" the closed season. Aside from that, we all have the same rights to fish the Sounds regardless of where we live. I'm all for the extended ban if it assists the fishery, and I think barbless hooks should also be considered to managed the mortality rate of returned fish.

It doesn't deter us from spending time on the boat over Christmas and NY at all.

Originally Posted by A-Bolt

This comment is interesting and comes up a bit:

"Re the Closed spawning season being pushed out to 10 January; it was always contentious with Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association that Wellington and Christchurch fishers could come and "PLUNDER" the fishery over Christmas, after Marlborough residents had just "ENDURED" and three month closure. Hence the current move (which I hadn't heard of until just now) to push the closure through to January. There goes Christmas holidays at the bach, or on the mooring block"

I have a launch berthed at Waikawa but live in Canterbury. I suspect that, even over Christmas/New Year, we don't "plunder" the fishery any more or less than the so-called locals, and we also "endure" the closed season. Aside from that, we all have the same rights to fish the Sounds regardless of where we live. I'm all for the extended ban if it assists the fishery, and I think barbless hooks should also be considered to managed the mortality rate of returned fish.

It doesn't deter us from spending time on the boat over Christmas and NY at all.

Maybe not for you but it will be interesting to see the parking situation over the coming holidays. Havelock in particular. That will give an indication as to whether or not this ban extension has the desired effect.

Originally Posted by Hahn

Maybe not for you but it will be interesting to see the parking situation over the coming holidays. Havelock in particular. That will give an indication as to whether or not this ban extension has the desired effect.

Suspect it'll be similar number of boats out fishing. Many families and visitors will fish as they always have as it's a big part of the holiday entertainment. The difference is they won't keep blue cod. Well most won't. A few will claim they didn't know the rule change and a few will try to sneak some blueys. I hope it's policed strongly at the marina, ramps and on the water.

We went fishing last Saturday out of Havelock for about 5hrs and brought back 1 snapper. Tried about a dozen different locations with sandy bottom as wanted gurnard or snapper, but kept hooking blue cod. Might give up fishing until mid January.

Wow, just read this in one of those reports.

NPS data shows approximately 60% of recreational catch in the Marlborough Sounds is taken between 20 December and 31 January annually, meaning an average of almost 500 blue cod bag limits every day on average during this peak fishing intensity period. For reference, outside of this period the average number of daily baglimits taken each day would fall to around 43

In just 6 weeks 60% of the annual catch is taken! If this 3 week extension works as the numbers suggest that halves to 30% of the annual catch. At ~500/day thats 10,500 in the 3 weeks not being kept. A lot being released will die from handling or shags but it's still got to be an improvement for the fishery.