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

Seafood

New Zealand

Regulation & Compliances

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 28, 2024

Tridge summary

Fisheries New Zealand is actively seeking input from the public on two innovative proposals designed to combat the environmental issue of kina barrens, where overpopulated kina devastate kelp forests, turning them into barren landscapes. The first proposal focuses on the introduction of a special permit system for the targeted culling, harvesting, or translocation of kina and long-spined sea urchins to help restore balance to affected marine ecosystems. The second proposal aims to increase the recreational daily bag limits for kina in the Auckland East Fisheries Management Area, with suggestions to elevate the limit to either 100 or 150 kina per fisher per day. These initiatives are intended to support the regeneration of kelp in marine areas impacted by excessive kina populations. The public is encouraged to provide their feedback on these proposals through online submissions, with the consultation period open until 5PM on 3 May 2024.

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

Have your say on proposals to help address kina barrens. Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on two 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 ...

Source: Fish Focus