Commercial fish stocks valued at over $4 billion

The value of New Zealand’s commercial fish stocks passed the $4 billion mark in 2009, Statistics NewZealand said today.

The asset value of New Zealand’s commercial fish stocks, as managed under the Quota ManagementSystem (QMS), has grown 47 percent since 1996.

The number of species managed under the system,introduced in 1986 to manage New Zealand’s fisheries, rose from 26 in 1996 to 96 in 2009.In 2009 the top 20 species, including hoki, rock lobster, pāua, and blue cod, comprised 91 percent of thefish stocks’ total value.

Hoki contributed the highest value at $815 million, or 20 percent of the total assetvalue.In 2009, jack mackerel, dredge oysters, and stargazer replaced alfonsino, hapuku and bass, and scallopin the top 20 species by asset value.

These statistics are from the Fish Monetary Stock Account: 1996–2009 released by Statistics NZ today.

The report, which is based on information from the fishing industry, measures the asset value of NewZealand’s commercial fisheries; it excludes aquaculture, recreational and customary catch, andcommercial species not currently managed by the QMS.

The Fish Monetary Stock Account: 1996–2009 is part of a series of statistics that can be used to monitorthe interaction between the economy and the environment.

The full report is available on the Statistics NZwebsite (www.stats.govt.nz).

Vince Galvin

24 February 2010

Acting Government Statistician