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South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries

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South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries Prepared for Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd Updated November 2015 Authors/Contributors: Alison MacDiarmid Owen Anderson James Sturman For any information regarding this report please contact: Neville Ching Contracts Manager NIWA, Wellington +64-4-386 0300 [email protected] National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point Wellington 6021 Private Bag 14901, Kilbirnie Wellington 6241 New Zealand Phone +64-4-386 0300 Fax +64-4-386 0574 NIWA Client Report No: WLG2012-13 Report date: October 2013 NIWA Project: TTR11301 Cover image: Modelled distributions of leather jacket on Taranaki reefs. Data are estimated abundance in 1 km2 grid squares. Note that on the scale provided 0 = absent, 1 = single (1 individual seen per 1 hr dive), 2 = few (2 – 10), 3 = many (11 – 100) and 4 = abundant (> 100). © All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or copied in any form without the permission of the copyright owner(s). Such permission is only to be given in accordance with the terms of the client’s contract with NIWA. This copyright extends to all forms of copying and any storage of material in any kind of information retrieval system. Whilst NIWA has used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate, NIWA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the completeness of the information contained herein, or that it will be suitable for any purpose(s) other than those specifically contemplated during the Project or agreed by NIWA and the Client. Contents Executive summary ..................................................................................................... 6 1 General Introduction .......................................................................................... 9 1.1 Background ................................................................................................. 9 2 Reef fish ............................................................................................................ 11 2.1 Background ............................................................................................... 11 2.2 Methods .................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Results ...................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Discussion ................................................................................................. 23 3 Crayfish ecology .............................................................................................. 24 3.1 Background ............................................................................................... 24 3.2 Distribution and abundance ....................................................................... 24 3.3 Movements ............................................................................................... 25 3.4 Ecological Interactions .............................................................................. 27 3.5 Connectivity with other populations ........................................................... 31 3.6 Discussion ................................................................................................. 31 4 Demersal and pelagic fish distribution and abundance ................................ 32 4.1 Background ............................................................................................... 32 4.2 Methods ....................................................... 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Bookmark not defined. 4.3 Results ...................................................................................................... 36 4.4 Discussion ................................................................................................. 41 5 Commercial Fisheries ...................................................................................... 44 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 44 5.2 Methods .................................................................................................... 44 5.3 Results ...................................................................................................... 44 5.4 Discussion ................................................................................................. 52 6 Customary Fisheries ........................................................................................ 53 6.1 Background ............................................................................................... 53 6.2 Methods .................................................................................................... 54 6.3 Results ...................................................................................................... 54 6.4 Reef based fisheries ................................................................................. 57 South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries 3 6.5 Open water fisheries ................................................................................. 58 6.6 Diadromous fishes .................................................................................... 58 6.7 Discussion ................................................................................................. 59 7 Summary and conclusions .............................................................................. 60 8 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... 60 9 References ........................................................................................................ 61 10 Appendix A: Modelled reef fish abundance and distribution ........................ 68 11 Appendix B: Modelled demersal fish distribution (% occurrence) ............... 69 12 Appendix C: Modelled demersal and pelagic fish abundance (catch rate) .. 70 Tables Table 2-1: Modelled reef fish species predicted to occur on south Taranaki reefs arranged by increasing order of estimated maximum abundance in 1 km2 grid cells. 14 Table 4-1: Species codes for 51 demersal and pelagic fish species, and their corresponding common and scientific names. 34 Table 4-2: Environmental and trawl variables used in predicting the distribution of demersal fish species across New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone. 35 Table 4-3: Main depth ranges for the predicted catch rates, by species. 36 Table 4-4: Distribution of maximum predicted catch rates (kg per trawl), by species. 39 Table 5-1: Summary of fishing effort by fishing year (1 Oct–31 Sep) and fishing method, and total catch by method. 45 Table 5-2: Bottom trawling. 47 Table 5-3: Midwater trawling. 48 Table 5-4: Set-netting. 49 Table 5-5: Bottom longlining. 50 Table 5-6: Annual (fishing year 1 April – 30 March) commercial catch of rock lobsters from statistical area 935. 52 Table 6-1: Species commonly customarily harvested from the STB and the method used. 55 Figures Figure 1-1: Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd Permit (yellow) and Licence (blue) areas. 10 Figure 1-2: Location of the TTR proposed project area (PPA). 11 Figure 2-1: Distribution and abundance of common conger eel on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 16 Figure 2-2: Distribution and abundance of common roughy on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 17 Figure 2-3: Distribution and abundance of porae on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 18 4 South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries Figure 2-4: Distribution and abundance of sea perch on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 19 Figure 2-5: Distribution and abundance of blue cod on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 20 Figure 2-6: Distribution and abundance of butterfly perch on reefs in the South Taranaki Bight. 21 Figure 2-7: Reef fish predicted species richness. 22 Figure 3-1: A large male red rock lobster advances off the reef over the sand flats. 30 Figure 4-1: Locations of existing bottom trawls that will be used in the analysis of demersal and pelagic fish distributions. 33 Figure 4-2: Probability of occurrence (%) of leatherjacket (Parika scaber) in a demersal trawl in the South Taranaki Bight region. 38 Figure 4-3: Predicted catch (kg) of leatherjacket (Parika scaber) in a demersal trawl in the South Taranaki Bight region. 40 Figure 4-4: Demersal fish species richness. 43 Figure 5-1: All fishing methods - effort and catch. 46 Figure 5-2: Bottom trawling - effort and catch. 47 Figure 5-3: Midwater trawling – effort and catch. 48 Figure 5-4: Set netting - effort and catch. 50 Figure 5-5: Bottom longlining - effort and catch. 51 Figure 5-6: Crayfishing statistical areas. 52 Figure 6-1: Iwi rohe in Taranaki and northern Manawatu. 54 Reviewed by Approved for release by … Reyn Naylor Andrew Laing South Taranaki Bight Fish and Fisheries 5 Executive summary The initial focus by Trans-Tasman Resources for iron sand extraction operations is in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) with the proposed seabed extraction site located 22-40 km offshore, outside the 12 nautical mile limit to the territorial sea. This report focuses on the fish and fisheries of the STB that may be impacted by the seabed extraction operations. The distribution and abundance of reef fish, pelagic fish, and demersal or seabed associated fish species are described using predictive models based on survey information conducted around New Zealand together with a set of environmental predictor variables. General features of the distribution, abundance, and ecology of rock lobsters are also described
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