Permanent Fishing Ban and New Limits to Protect Endangered Hoiho from Bycatch

Long-term protections to reduce fishing risks to the endangered northern hoiho population will become permanent from 16 September 2026, including a ban on set-net fishing around the Otago Peninsula. A new Fishing Related Mortality Limit (FRML) framework, setting an annual bycatch limit of four hoiho, will enable swift action if limits are exceeded, aiming to halve hoiho deaths from fisheries bycatch. While fisheries bycatch is not the primary threat, with disease, predation, and starvation being greater risks, these measures will contribute to stabilizing the population.