The Ministry for Primary Industries is encouraging recreational fishers to follow the fishing rules this summer and "take only what you need for a feed".

"Summer is a great time for people to be out enjoying time together on the water. We want people to be able to enjoy kaimoana for generations to come so it's important to take a little time before dropping a line in the water to familiarise yourself with the rules in your area," says MPI director of fisheries compliance, Niamh Murphy.

MPI has launched a campaign to encourage people to know the rules and only take what they need for a feed.

"From time to time, rules do change and could be different outside your local area, so the best advice is to download the free NZ Fishing Rules App. It'll give you all the latest rules about catch limits, fishing methods, and restrictions in your area so you never get caught out. It's easy to use and will work even if you are outside a coverage area.

"A number of the rules fishers relied on last year have changed. Our advice is to check the rules or catch a fine."

Keep an eye out this summer for our advertisements on TV, digital and social media featuring well known kiwi celebrity Pio Terei, who will tell you why downloading the free fishing rules app before you head out to catch some kaimoana will keep our fisheries sustainable into the future.

MPI will also be going where the fishers go, so you'll see our ads at wharves, fishing gear shops, coastal dairies and places where you get your weather and tide information for your day out fishing.

"We can all do our part in looking after our local fishery or fisheries we visit this summer by following the rules. To find out how, download the NZ Fishing Rules App wherever you get your apps from and protect our kaimoana for future generations," says Niamh Murphy.

NZ Fishing Rules App

If you become aware of any suspicious fishing activity, call us on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 47 62 24) or email ncc@mpi.govt.nz.