The number of green-lipped mussels allowed to be collected by recreational fishers will be halved from October 1 in an effort to restore stocks in the Maketu area.
From next month the limit will drop from 50 mussels to 25 per gatherer per day in an area covering the Bay of Plenty shoreline from Wairakei in the north-west to Otamarakau in the south-east.
Green-lipped mussel limits are changing from 50 to 25 per gatherer per day.
The recommendation for the reduction was made by Maketu Taiapure Committee to the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy.
MPI district compliance manager for the Waikato, Bay of Plenty area Brendon Mikkelsen says fisheries patrol officers, who patrol the Bay of Plenty area, will be actively enforcing the new limit.
'This new limit will help the mussel population recover, so that future generations will have the opportunity to gather shellfish for a feed, in the same way that we do today,” says Brendon.
Members of the public are encouraged to report any illegal poachers they see, on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224).
For further information about fishing rules and limits visit www.fish.govt.nz.
Alternatively you can get up-to-date fishing rules with the free MPI fishing app by texting ‘app' to 9889 or visiting: http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/MFish+Apps/default.htm
1 comment
Improved already
Posted on 19-09-2013 17:38 | By gremlin
The mussel population should be well on the way to recovery already with the Bay of Plenty shellfish toxin warning still valid as of 05/09/2013 and been in existence for more than 2 years
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