Fisheries Inshore New Zealand Ltd v Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc - [2023] 3 NZLR 780

Fishing and fisheries — Total allowable catch — How total allowable catch levels to be set under legislation — Tarakihi stock levels — Strategy and rebuild plan — Sustainability measure — Stock below recognised limits for sustainability — Appropriate period within which rebuild to occur — Whether “appropriate period” determined separately from the way and rate at which rebuild occurred — Relevance of social, cultural and economic factors to “appropriate period” — Probability of rebuild plan being achieved — Whether default probability standard of 70 per cent specified for rebuild — Whether implied mandatory consideration in setting total allowable catch — Best available information — Legislation history — United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea art 61 and 61(3).

Judicial review — Mandatory and relevant considerations — Determination of total allowable catch — Statutory duties of Minister under Fisheries Act 1996 — Strategy and rebuild plan — Appropriate period within which to rebuild stock levels — Whether “appropriate period” determined separately from the way and rate at which rebuild occurred — Relevance of social, cultural and economic factors to “appropriate period” — Probability of rebuild plan being achieved — Whether default probability standard of 70 per cent specified for rebuild — Whether implied mandatory consideration in setting total allowable catch — Best available information — Fisheries Act 1996 ss 2(1), 5, 8(2), 9, 10, 10(a), 11, 11(2), 12, 13, 13(2)(b), 13(2)(b)(i), 13(2)(b)(ii), 13(3), 31, 32 and pt 3.