New Zealand: Have your say on proposals to help address kina barrens

Seafood

New Zealand

Regulation & Compliances

Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 26, 2024

Tridge summary

Fisheries New Zealand is addressing the issue of kina barrens, where overpopulation of kina has led to the destruction of kelp forests and reduced marine biodiversity. To combat this, two measures are proposed: the introduction of a special permit system for the targeted removal, harvest, or translocation of kina and long-spined sea urchins, and an increase in the recreational daily bag limit for kina in the Auckland East Fisheries Management Area, with options to raise the limit from the current 50 to either 100 or 150 kina per fisher. These initiatives aim to restore kelp forests and improve ecosystem balance. Public feedback is sought until 5pm on 3 May 2024 on these proposals.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on 2 proposed measures to help address kina barrens and rebalance local ecosystems. The proposals include a new special permit for targeted culling, harvest, or translocation of kina and long-spined sea urchins, and options to increase recreational daily bag limits for kina in the Auckland East Fisheries Management Area. "Kina barrens are areas of rocky reef where healthy kelp forests have been consumed by an excess of kina to form a bare, or barren, space, making it uninviting to other marine life," says Emma Taylor, Director Fisheries Management. "Kelp forms a key part of a healthy ecosystem in these areas and promotes biodiversity by offering shelter, breeding grounds, and food sources for a range of sea life, including kina predator species." The proposed special permit would allow the removal of kina and long-spined sea urchins from areas where there are already kina barrens or areas that are at risk of forming new barrens. Special ...

Source: Mpi