This report summarises the 2026 stock assessment of one of the five main ling stocks managed under the Quota Management System: the ling stock off the west coast of the South Island (LIN 7WC).

 

A stock assessment model was carried out, informed by commercial catches, commercial age compositions, commercial standardised catch per unit effort (CPUE) for both bottom longlines and bottom trawl, and information from the west coast South Island trawl survey biomass series.

 

The initial spawning stock biomass was at 54 144 t and status in 2026 was at 34% of initial biomass, with a downward trend in recruitment since 2003 and lower than average recruitment since 2008.

 

Five-year projections indicated that, under recent or a continued decline in recruitment, the spawning stock biomass would continue to decline even with a 30% reduction in recent catches and would most likely breach the limit reference point in 2031 at that level of catch.

Document date
Monday, 27 July 2026

Document type
V 1.3

File format
Adobe PDF

File size
1.1 MB

Reference number

Sort order

ISSN: 1179-5352;
ISBN: 978-1-997337-46-1;
AUTHOR: Mormede, S.; Dunn, A.; Webber, D.N.;
FAR: 2026/26;

If you are having problems opening this file, you may not have the software on your computer needed to view it. Click the link below to download and install a suitable program.