6. Fiordland
Map ID Number: 6
Location: Southwest New Zealand
Approximate area: 7,214km2
Description of area:
Fiordland has deeply indented fiords with a surface freshwater layer that creates “estuarine” circulation. The fiords have deep inner basins protected by shallow sills near the entrances that isolate the fiords from each other and from the open sea.
Biological attributes:
Fiordland has fish assemblages typical of southern New Zealand but with “deepwater emergent” species: some deepwater species live at shallower depths than in other regions. The strong environmental gradients generate marked longitudinal and depth patterns in fi sh assemblages and abundance. Pelagic species, such as albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga), butterfly tuna (Gasterochisma melampus), thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus), and blue sharks (Prionace glauca) occur inside fiords. It is unusual to find these species in enclosed waters. There is limited recruitment in the waters of Fiordland, and limited exchange of recruits among fiords because of the water circulation patterns. The only fish known to be endemic to the fiords is the brotula, Fiordichthys slartibartfasti.
Criteria applied:
Species richness; endemism; trophic/functional diversity; representation (i.e. across physical types); extremities of range and adaptation to environment; special conditions and specialised organisms; habitat complexity/diversity.
Status and management:
Historically, there were large rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) fisheries in the fiords, and associated fishing for bait. This fishery is now largely confined to the outer fiords. A management strategy for Fiordland prepared by The Guardians of Fiordland’s Fisheries proposes a complete ban on commercial fishing within the inner fiords. Recreational fishing for blue cod (Parapercis colias) is common in the fiords. Two marine reserves occur in Fiordland.
State of information:
Good information on fish communities, some information on distribution and abundance, but little is known of fish ecology.
References and further reading:
Francis et al. (1989), Guardians of Fiordland’s Fisheries (2001), Ryan and Paulin (1998), Teirney (2003).