Fisheries for orange roughy ( Hoplostethus atlanticus) on seamounts in New Zealand

Abstract

Major commercial fisheries for orange roughy ( Hoplostethus atlanticus) occur on seamount features, which are widely distributed throughout the New Zealand region. When the fishery developed in the late 1970s to early 1980s, it occurred mainly on flat bottom, but over time has become more focused on seamounts. In the 1995–1996 fishing year, it is estimated that about 70 % of the catch of orange roughy within the New Zealand EEZ was taken from seamounts. Seamounts on the Chatham Rise have been fished for over ten years. Examination of commercial catch and effort data show strong declines in catch rates over time, and a pattern of serial depletion of seamount populations, with the fishery moving progressively eastwards to unfished seamounts along the southern margins of the Rise. Catch rates on seamounts in other regions of New Zealand have also generally shown a similar pattern of rapid decline. There is growing concern over the impact of trawling on seamounts, and the effects this can have on the benthic habitat and fauna, and the long-term sustainability of associated commercial fisheries.