The blue cod fishery is a very popular recreational fishery as well as a high-value commercial fishery here in the Sounds and Cook Strait. MPI is working on a new National Blue Cod strategy to manage this fishery in the coming months and will be seeking public input.

Increased fishing activity and our changing environment both have the potential to impact on the sustainability of the Blue Cod fishery – so it’s important that this work is done now to get in front of these challenges and deliver a better and more consistent management approach to ensure Blue Cod can be enjoyed now, and in the future.

MPI will be reviewing all aspects of the blue cod fishery across the whole of New Zealand, but will start with the South Island, to address priority management concerns. MPI says they will engage widely with all sectors and tangata whenua throughout the development of the strategy, so you will definitely have the opportunity to give your input. Find out more about Blue Cod on the MPI fish species pages, including the rules, catch allowances and stock status.

We will update you on dates and locations of any public drop in sessions on our news section of our website, and our Facebook page, but you can also subscribe to the MPI recreational fishing updates here. Further reading about the strategy can be found here: www.mpi.govt.nz/bluecod