The Challenger Inshore Finfish Fishery (CIFF) includes species caught in the inshore areas of Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 7 - also known as 'Challenger' - and currently encompasses 15 inshore finfish stocks.

The CIFF is a shared fishery, used by commercial and non-commercial fishers. Commercial fishers take the majority of the catch with trawlers, lines, seine nets, set nets, and cod pots. Commercial fishers target single CIFF stocks or aggregations of CIFF stocks depending on seasonal and spatial abundance of the fisheries and their ACE or quota portfolios.

For recreational fishers, snapper and blue cod are the most commonly targeted species. Red gurnard and flatfish are also highly sought after. The most popular recreational fishing areas are the Marlborough Sounds, Tasman Bay, and Golden Bay.

Most CIFF stocks are important to customary fishers, but particularly tarakihi, butterfish, spiny dogfish and school shark.