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Seafood with Concerns
KinaScientific name: Evechinus chloroticus
Other names: kina ariki,
kin koorako, puurau (Maori), sea urchin, sea egg, Oursin de Nouvelle-Zelande (France)
Ranking: D (Amber
- Concerns)
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Description: Most kina are harvested by breath-hold diving with a smaller proportion being caught by targeted dredging. Jointly with anchovy, pilchards and sprats, kina has the best ecological ranking of any commercial fishery in New Zealand.
The main concerns with this fishery are: the unknown sustainability of current catch levels or limits, the risk a serial depletion of stocks and impact on reef communities from changes in grazing levels, the lack of stock assessments, limited research and the lack of a management plan. When dredged, considerable habitat damage can occur.
The latest stock assessment states: "For all Fishstocks it is not known if current catch levels or proposed TACCs [total allowable commercial catches] are sustainable, or if they are at levels which will allow the stocks to move towards a size that will support sustainable yields." (MFish 2007 p414).
Market: New Zealand.
Status and sustainable yield
Status: Unknown.
Annual catch limit: Set at 976 tonnes in 2003.
Recorded catch: Reported catch of 826.5 tonnes for all fishstocks in 2005-06.
Population size: Unknown.
Stock trends: Unknown.
Fishing method
Method: Most kina are harvested by breath-hold diving with a smaller proportion being caught by target dredging.
Habitat damage: Minimal damage from diving; dredging scrapes the bottom killing or damaging bottom dwelling species.
Bycatch: None from diving; dredging has a high bycatch including a range of bottom dwelling species.
Ecological effects: Changes in kina numbers have effects on algal community assemblages.
Management
Stock assessment: No stock assessments. Biomass estimates have been made for Arapawa Island (1997) and Dusky Sound and Chalky Inlet (1995).
Management plan: No.
Quota Management Species: Yes, since 2002 (South Island) and 2003 (North Island).
Biology
Distribution: Throughout New Zealand and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.
Maximum age (years): 20+
Age at sexual maturity: 4-5
Growth rate: Moderate.
Reproductive output: Medium.
Age exploited: 8-9 (uncertain)
References: Report from the Fishery Assessment Plenary, May 2007: stock assessments and yield estimates. Part 2: Hake to Paua Science Group, Ministry of Fisheries; Guidebook to New Zealand Commercial Fish Species, Revised Edition 1990.
This page was updated on 6 November, 2005 | 
