5. West coast of South island
Map ID Number: 5
Location: Kahurangi Point to Cascade Point
Approximate area: 5,167km2
Description of area:
The west coast of the South Island is a highenergy shore with scouring by sand and cobbles, and high turbidity.
Biological attributes:
This area has low fish biomass and diversity. It is habitat for the giant triplefin (Blennodon dorsale), which is rare in other regions. A possibly endemic clingfish lives on this coast. The west coast has always had the biggest New Zealand whitebait (Galaxias maculatus) fishery, which has national importance, especially in the south. It also features large offshore winter spawning aggregations of hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae).
Criteria applied:
Endemism; representation (i.e. across physical types); cultural values; extremities of range and adaptation to environment; degree of disturbance; special conditions and specialised organisms; seasonal/migratory importance; unusual degree/proportion of biomass; aggregations.
Status and management:
The pre-eminence of the whitebait fishery has probably been accentuated historically by the fact that the this coast remains relatively well covered by indigenous forest and has suffered less wetland damage than other areas of New Zealand. Major coastal and offshore fisheries targeting various fi sh species operate in the area.
State of information:
Moderately well studied, especially the fishes of the continental shelf and upper continental slope.
References and further reading:
Francis (1996), McDowall (1990), McDowall and Eldon (1980), Roberts et al. (2001).