| Blue Cod | - By management area: Kaikōura (Clarence River to Hurunui River) as per Kaikōura area; Canterbury (Hurunui River to Rakaia River) 2 per day incl. Akaroa Taiāpure, closed in Rāpaki and Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai reserves; North Otago (Rakaia River to Taiaroa Head) 10 per day, East Otago Taiāpure 2; Southern (Taiaroa Head to Sand Hill Point) 10 per day.
- Min 33 cm.
- Landed whole or gutted (Southern area also headed).
- Pots: rigid square mesh at least 54 mm x 54 mm.
- Multi-day trips: 2 daily limits with proof.
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| Blue Moki | - Closed (no take) in Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō mātaitai.
- Akaroa Taiāpure: 3 per day.
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| Butterfish | - Closed (no take) in Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō mātaitai.
- Akaroa Taiāpure: 3 per day.
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| Cockles | - No minimum size in general.
- East Otago Taiāpure: 50 per day.
- Akaroa Taiāpure: 20 per day.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai: 15 per day, min 40 mm (measured at the greatest diameter of the shell); closed at Walkers Beach (Ōtamahua/Quail Island) and Rec Bay; Rāpaki: no take.
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| Crayfish | - Size is tail width between the tips of the two large spines on the second tail segment: male 54 mm, female 60 mm (use 60 mm if unsure of sex).
- Spiny and packhorse combined 6 per day (max 3 packhorse).
- Clarence Point to Waitaki River: telson clipping required; multi-day possession max 18 spiny (3 daily limits), including at home; each day's catch bagged and labelled with fisher's name, date and number.
- Return berried females, soft-shell and unmeasurable rock lobster.
- No spears, spring-loaded loops or baited nets.
- Max 3 pots per fisher, 6 per vessel for 2 or more fishers.
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| Hāpuku | - Combined daily limit of 5 groper (hāpuku)/bass and kingfish, with no more than 3 kingfish.
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| Jack Mackerel | - Baitfish limit: 50 a day of any mix of baitfish, on top of the combined finfish limit.
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| Kahawai | - Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō: 5 per day.
- Rāpaki mātaitai: no take.
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| Kina | - No minimum size.
- Akaroa Taiāpure, Tuhawaiki and Te Ahi Tarakihi mātaitai: 20 per day.
- East Otago Taiāpure: 10 per day.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai: kina are not on the permitted list, so taking them is prohibited; Rāpaki: no shellfish.
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| Kingfish | - Combined daily limit of 5 groper (hāpuku)/bass and kingfish, with no more than 3 kingfish.
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| Mussels | - No minimum size in general.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai: 30 per day, green-lipped mussels min 70 mm (greatest overall shell length); Rāpaki: no take.
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| Oysters | - Not named on the MPI page for this area; it falls under the 'All others (combined)' shellfish limit of 50 per day.
- Only dredge oysters are named.
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| Pāua | - Size is shell length: the longest straight line across the underside of the shell (not over the curve).
- Land in the shell; no shucking seaward of the mean high-water mark.
- No underwater breathing apparatus (UBA) while taking or holding pāua.
- Canterbury: 5 per day, min 125 mm.
- South of Waitaki River: 10 per day, min 125 mm.
- Timaru mātaitai and Moeraki mātaitai: 3 per day blackfoot and yellowfoot combined, min 125 mm.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai: 3 combined, min 130 mm, vessel limit 9; closed at Gollans Bay, north-east Ōtamahua/Quail Island and Livingstone Bay to Godley Head; Rāpaki: no take.
- Moeraki closed areas (Tikoraki/Tawhiroko, Turaka Waka).
- East Otago Taiāpure: 0.
- Kaikōura pāua fishery rules apply from Marfells Beach to Conway River (3 per day, 130 mm, open 1 May to 31 Aug).
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| Pipi | - No minimum size in general.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō and Extension mātaitai: 15 per day, min 40 mm (measured at the greatest diameter of the shell); Rāpaki: no take.
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| Rig | - Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō: 5; Rāpaki: no take.
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| Sand Flounder | - MPI groups flounder and sole as 'flatfish'.
- Flatfish (except sand flounder) min 25 cm; sand flounder min 23 cm.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō: 5 per day; Rāpaki: no take.
- Ōpihi, Te Ahi Tarakihi, Waitarakao: 10 per day.
- Set nets allowed for flounder 1 April to 30 September in Pigeon Bay, Akaroa Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour and Port Levy (exemption to east coast set net ban).
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| Scallops | - Season 15 Jul to 14 Feb.
- Size is the greatest diameter of the shell.
- Land in the shell (scallops you eat at sea may be shucked and still count).
- A diver on a vessel may take extra limits for up to 2 safety people on board (max 2 extra limits per vessel).
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| School Shark | |
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| Sole | - MPI groups flounder and sole as 'flatfish'.
- Flatfish (except sand flounder) min 25 cm; sand flounder min 23 cm.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō: 5 per day; Rāpaki: no take.
- Ōpihi, Te Ahi Tarakihi, Waitarakao: 10 per day.
- Set nets allowed for flounder 1 April to 30 September in Pigeon Bay, Akaroa Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour and Port Levy (exemption to east coast set net ban).
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| Tarakihi | - 10 per day from 1 Nov 2026 (15 before).
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| Tuatua | |
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| Yellow-eyed Mullet | - Baitfish limit: 50 a day of any mix of baitfish, on top of the combined finfish limit.
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| Yellowbelly Flounder | - MPI groups flounder and sole as 'flatfish'.
- Flatfish (except sand flounder) min 25 cm; sand flounder min 23 cm.
- Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō: 5 per day; Rāpaki: no take.
- Ōpihi, Te Ahi Tarakihi, Waitarakao: 10 per day.
- Set nets allowed for flounder 1 April to 30 September in Pigeon Bay, Akaroa Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour and Port Levy (exemption to east coast set net ban).
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