Fishing in Chatham Islands

The Chatham Islands sit about 800 kilometres southeast of Wellington — far enough out in the South Pacific that getting there means a flight on Air Chathams, and the remoteness shows in the fishing.

A population of around 600 people, a working fish factory in Waitangi, and coastline that hasn't faced the recreational pressure of the mainland. The sea dominates everything here.

There's no meaningful freshwater fishing to speak of; this is an ocean place, and the fishing reflects that. Land-based fishing is more productive than it has any right to look.

The coastline can appear unlikely — flat, wind-scoured, basalt rock platforms fronted by bull kelp — but blue cod, blue moki, gurnard, kahawai, and butterfish come readily, and various shark species turn up too. Kingfish are around.

Hapuku have been hooked from the commercial wharf at Waitangi.

Getting mobile matters: hiring a 4WD to reach the less-pressured stretches of coast pays off, and sourcing bait locally — crayfish that haven't made export grade from the fish factory — is worth the effort.

Pitt Island, the second main island in the group, has its own character. Flowerpot Bay Lodge runs charter trips from there, and the grounds are close — often reachable in minutes.

Blue cod and hapuku are reliable through most of the year; kingfish, terakihi, blue moki, and sharks round out the mix depending on season. The lodge is explicit about adhering to local recreational catch limits, which reflects a broader island ethic.

The community here has developed localised agreements that go beyond government regulations — reef-by-reef shellfish management, supplementary size and catch restrictions, selective methods — because the fishery underpins livelihoods, not just recreation.

Recreational fishing in these waters falls under the Chatham Rise area rules, which sit within the South-East fishing area but carry their own specific regulations.

MPI's NZ Fishing Rules app is the right place to check current size limits, catch limits, and any closed areas before you go — rules here are specific enough that it's not worth guessing. Weather is the variable that shapes everything.

The fishing is available nearly year-round, but the Southern Ocean doesn't negotiate. Come prepared to wait out days, and treat any day the wind drops as a gift.