Photo: Andrew Spencer
All power and muscle, their spear-shaped snouts piercing the water as they leap and writhe above the waves, for the serious angler, there is no greater thrill than hooking a mighty marlin.
But recreational fishers fear this could become a thing of the past as the government looks to allow the fish to be sold as by-catch by commercial fishing companies.
Fisheries New Zealand has proposed a package of 19 regulation changes, which include dropping protections for marlin and 19 reef-fish species outside the Quota Management System.
Currently, if the species are caught by commercial fishers, they must be returned to the water dead or alive.
But the proposal aims to change this.
Continue Reading on RNZ
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.