Snapper is a renowned favourite.

It’s this little beauty that lots of us Kiwi fishers target, catch, cook and eat. Our snapper fishery is near and dear so keeping it in good health is really important to LegaSea – for all of us. That’s why we’ll be paying special attention to snapper this year. It’s needed. I don’t know about you but when I’m out straylining in five or 15 years time I want to know there’s enough good size fish our there, living happily in our seas, to catch a feed.

As anglers, we can make a pretty big difference to our fishing future. It’s not hard.

A study a few years ago revealed that 46%* of snapper caught by anglers in the north were less than the 27cm legal size. In fact, we released over half of all snapper we caught! (56%*). “Goin’ home” as Matt Watson puts it. But they don’t all survive. In fact, many gut hooked fish don’t. With proper care however, we can dramatically increase survival rates, meaning potentially tonnes more fish survive over the years and thrive in our marine ecosystem. Easy.

In the coming months we’re going to share some simple tips that will go some way to help build fish numbers of snapper to really healthy levels.

We need the commercial sector to take a look in the mirror too. There’s simply too much unnecessary waste happening. Reducing that waste will play a major part in rebuilding stock levels. We’ll be calling for your support for our “Snapper 1 Policy” that charts a path to the future health of our snapper fishery, working with all the groups it affects. Practical, realistic steps that can be taken. Prevention is best. If we take smart steps now the future will be rosy, with healthy pink snapper in abundance.

To find out more and register for our email updates. Together we can make a difference.

*Holdsworth & Boyd (2008). Size, condition and estimated release mortality of snapper (Pagrus auratus) caught in the SNA1 recreational fishery, 2006–07. New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2008/53