Rock Lobster regulations
Following consultation, the Minister of Fisheries has made decisions on 3 measures proposed by the National Rock Lobster Management Group for recreational fishers in the CRA5 (Canterbury/Marlborough) rock lobster fishery.
To assist with minimising illegal take in CRA5, the minister has decided to introduce:
recreational telson (tail fan) clipping for spiny rock lobster
an accumulation limit of 3 daily bag limits or 18 lobsters. This is the maximum number of rock lobsters that a recreational fisher can have in their possession
‘bag and tag’ conditions requiring a single day's catch to be stored in a clearly labelled bag or container.
These measures will apply from 1 July 2020.
These measures already apply to the Kaikōura Marine Area, a sub-area of CRA5, and are intended to discourage and dissuade illegal fishing in the wider CRA5 area.
Telson clipping
The telson is the central part of the tail fan on a rock lobster. Telson clipping is a way of marking spiny rock lobster to make it clear that they have been recreationally caught and are not for sale. One-third of the telson is cut off so that it is noticeably shorter than the other sections of the tail fan.
From 1 July 2020, once a fisher has checked that a lobster is legal size and is not subject to any other protections (such as carrying eggs), they must immediately cut one-third off the central telson. A person must not possess any spiny rock lobster taken from within the CRA5 area if it has not had one-third of the central telson cut off. Telson clipping can be done with a knife or scissors and is like clipping your fingernails. Labelled diagram of a telson-clipped lobster [PDF, 551 KB]
Accumulation limit
An accumulation limit is the maximum amount of rock lobster any one person can be in possession of at any one time, even if they have been fishing on multiple days. From 1 July 2020, each person can hold a maximum of 3 daily bag limits (18 lobsters). These lobsters must be stored and labelled in accordance with the ‘bag and tag’ conditions outlined below.
Bag and tag conditions
Bag and tag conditions provide evidence that accumulated rock lobsters were taken within the daily bag limit of 6 lobsters over 3 days or more.
From 1 July 2020, recreational fishers must hold rock lobster in a container or bag that contains only a single day’s catch, and is clearly labelled with:
the individual fisher’s name
the date the lobsters were taken
the number of lobsters held.
