New Zealand hoki was the world’s first large, whitefish stock to receive the MSC ecolabel, first certified as sustainable in March 2001.

Hoki is New Zealand's most abundant commercial fish species and this hoki fishery is one the largest fisheries in New Zealand, with 250,000 tonnes of hoki produced annually of which the majority is exported to valuable markets in the US, EU, Japan and Australia.

 “The recertification of the New Zealand hoki fishery provides independent assurance that this fishery remains amongst the best managed and most sustainable fisheries in the world.  We welcome this final decision after a two-year process and embrace sustainable fisheries management as a process of continual improvement...Consumers can continue to choose New Zealand hoki with the confidence that the fisheries remain sustainably managed.”

George Clement
Deepwater Stakeholder Group

Commercial success

The “green” benchmark MSC standard has set the New Zealand hoki fishery apart by acknowledging and rewarding its responsible management practices. The MSC ecolabel has proved a growing competitive advantage in export markets where consumers worry about over-fishing and its ecological and social consequences. It has helped the hoki fishery secure its position in these important, environmentally aware markets.

The fishery scored as follows in assessment against the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. The highest possible score for each principle is 100 and a fishery must score at least 80 against each principle to get certified:

Sustainability strengths

Some of the points on which the fishery scored over 90 are outlined below.

Principle 1: the state of the fish stock

• New Zealand hoki are identified easily making monitoring and managing effective.
• The stock assessment models used are appropriate for the species and capture the major features of the biology of the species and the nature of the fishery.

Principle 2: the impact of the fishery on the marine environment

• There is very little gear loss in the fishery and thus very little ‘ghost fishing’. The gear types involved are large and the nets and other components (such as ground ropes, bobbins etc.) are expensive to replace. Gear damage is common but regular repair and maintenance is undertaken to maintain efficiency.

Principle 3: the fishery management systems

• The fishery is managed in a manner that observes legal and customary rights.

Challenges

In order to ensure its continuing sustainable operation this fishery made a commitment to improving its performance where it scored between 60-80. Some of the actions the fishery has committed to are:

• Further research required on the trophic interrelationships of hoki at a range of age/size classes.
• A long term research plan to be developed for hoki within 18 months of certification to provide understanding of fluctuations in target and non-target species, effectiveness of harvest strategies, effect of fishing on the ecosystem etc.

The fishery: Unit of certification

The certified New Zealand hoki fishery is defined as:

Surveillance audits: First certification period 2001-2006

Surveillance 12: Completed October 2007

Surveillance report no. 12 - October 2007

Surveillance 11: Completed October 2005

Surveillance report no. 11 - October 2005

Surveillance 10: Completed May 2005

Surveillance report no. 10 - May 2005

Surveillance 9: Completed December 2004

Surveillance report no. 9 - December 2004

Surveillance 8: Completed September 2004

Surveillance report no. 8 - September 2004

Surveillance 7: Completed April 2004

Surveillance report no. 7 - April 2004

Surveillance 6: Completed March 2004

Surveillance report no. 6 - March 2004

Surveillance 5: Completed December 2003

Surveillance report no. 5 - December 2003

Surveillance 4: Completed April 2003

Surveillance report no. 4 - April 2003

Surveillance 3: Completed December 2002

Surveillance report no. 3 - December 2002

Surveillance 2: Completed May 2002

Surveillance report no. 2 - May 2002

Surveillance 1: Completed October 2001

Surveillance report no. 1 - October 2001

Initial assessment: Certified March 2001

Stage 7: Public certification report and certificate issue

Certificate extension - 31 July 2007

Certificate extension - 12 March 2007

Certificate extension - 1 November 2006

Certificate extension -  25 April 2006

Certificate extension -  13 March 2006

Public certification report - 14 March 2001

Objections procedure

Objections panel decision - 16 December 2002

Further documentation relating to the 2002 New Zealand hoki objections procedure can be acquired by contacting the MSC at standards@msc.org

Stage 6: Final report and determination

Stage 5: Public review of the draft assessment report

Public comment draft report - 25 October 2001

Stage 4: Client and peer review

Stage 3: Information gathering, stakeholder meetings and scoring

Stage 2: Building the assessment tree

Draft assessment tree - December 2000

Stage 1: Fishery announcement and assessment team formation

Stakeholder Notification: Fishery enters full assessment - 3 October 2000

Surveillance 4: Completed December 2011

Surveillance report - 22 December 2011

Stakeholder Notification: Surveillance announcement - 22nd September 2011

Surveillance 3: Completed February 2011

Surveillance Report No. 3 - 22nd February 2011

Variation request: MSC letter accepting request - 27th January 2011

Variation request: 3rd Surveillance - 27th January 2011

Stakeholder Notification: Surveillance announcement - 18th November 2010

Surveillance 2: Completed January 2010

Surveillance Report No. 2 - 19th January 2010

Stakeholder Notification: Surveillance announcement - 15th October 2009

Surveillance 1: Completed January 2009 

Surveillance Report No.1 - 20th January 2009

Stakeholder announcement: Delay in publication of certification report - 3rd November 2008

Stakeholder announcement: Change in certification body - 3rd September 2008

Surveillance announcement: Moody Marine - 29th August 2008

Reassessment: Recertified October 2007

Certificates: Compliance with the MSC Principles and Criteria for Sustainable fishing

Certificate of compliance MML-F-030 - Valid 12th September 2008 to 31st October 2012

Stage 7: Objections procedure/public certification report and certificate issue

Public certification report - 31 October 2007

Objections procedure

Further documentation relating to the 2006/07 New Zealand hoki objections procedure can be acquired by contacting the MSC at standards@msc.org

Stage 6: Final report and determination

Revised final report and determination - 18 July 2006

Final report and determination - 25 April 2006

Stakeholder Notification: Final report and determination - 25 April 2006

Stage 5: Public review of the draft assessment report

Public comment draft report - 10 January 2006

Stakeholder Notification: Public comment draft report released - 10 January 2006

Stage 4: Client and peer review

Stakeholder Notification: Peer reviewers confirmed - 15 September 2005

Stakeholder Notification: Peer reviewers proposed - 16 August 2005

Stage 3: Information gathering, stakeholder meetings and scoring

Stakeholder Notification: Site visits scheduled - 7 July 2005

Stage 2: Building the assessment tree

Final assessment tree - 2 December 2005

Draft assessment tree - 27 June 2005

Stakeholder Notification: Draft assessment tree released for comment - 27 June 2005

Stage 1: Fishery announcement and assessment team formation

Stakeholder Notification: Assessment team announced - 8 July 2005

Stakeholder Notification: Assessment team nominated - 15 April 2005

Stakeholder Notification: Fishery enters full assessment - 16 March 2005

Stakeholder Notification: Site visits scheduled - 6 October 2011

Stage 2: Building the Assessment Tree

Stakeholder Notification: Use of the default assessment tree - 6 October 2011

Stage 1: Fishery Announcement and Assessment Team Formation

Stakeholder Notification: Assessment team confirmation - 6 October 2011

Stakeholder Notification: Assessment team nominated - 22 September 2011

• Curriculum Vitae: Jo Akroyd

• Curriculum Vitae: Johanna Pierre

• Curriculum Vitae: W. Don Bowen

• Curriculum Vitae: D.W. Japp

• Curriculum Vitae: André Punt

Stakeholder Notification: Fishery enters full assessment - 22 September 2011

Assessment Timeline - 22 September 2011

Deepwater Group Ltd (DWG)

PO Box 1460
Nelson
New Zealand
Tel: +64 (0)3 545 7020
Fax: +64 (0)3 545 7021

Contact: George Clement
Email: dwg@fishinfo.co.nz

Certification Body

Intertek Moody Marine,

Merlin House
Stanier Way
Wyvern Business Park
Derby DE 21 6BF
UK

Jo Akroyd (Lead Assessor)
Email: j.akroyd@moodyint.com
Phone: + 64 21 782434
Fax: + 64 9 5247903

Paul Knapman (Project Leader)
Email: p.knapman.moodyint.com
Phone : + 1 902 422 4511
Fax: + 902 422 9780

First certified as sustainable in March 2001, recertified in October 2007 and entered second reasessment in September 2011.

Summary

Species:  Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae)  
Location:  The main catching areas are off the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Cook Straight and the Chatham Rise to the east of the South Island.
Fishing methods:  Mid-water trawling and bottom trawling.
Number of fisheries: 1

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Fishery Fact Sheet

Download the New Zealand hoki fishery fact sheet for A4 paper (pdf, 152kb)
Download the New Zealand hoki fishery fact sheet for US letter paper (pdf, 155kb)

Do you source fish from this fishery?

Show your customers how the fish is caught – download and display this case study from our Net Benefits report.
Download Fishers' stories - Net Benefits 2009 - New Zealand Hoki(PDF, 200kb)

More about hoki

Hoki is an offshore midwater fish, widely distributed but abundant at depths between 200-600 m throughout New Zealand waters. It's also known as whiptail, blue hake or blue grenadier. Hoki are fast growing fish, males may grow up to about 112 cm long, and females up to 130 cm long and 7 kg in weight. Hoki live naturally to about 20-25 years and they feed on shrimps, small fish and squid.

More about the fishing methods

The Hoki fishery is conducted by mid-water and bottom trawling.

Fishery tonnage

91,040 metric tonnes

Commercial market

The majority is exported to valuable markets in the US, EU, Japan and Australia. Of the $294 million hoki earned in 1998, $88 million was from exports to European markets.