The increasing number of kingfish being caught off the Otago coastline has prompted the Ministry for Primary Industries to consider expanding the kingfish quota.
Kingfish are most abundant in the northern half of the North Island, and can grow to more than 1.5m and weigh more than 30kg.
Warming sea temperatures are attracting the species further south, to Otago coastal waters.
Commercial fisherman Allan Anderson, of Karitane, said he and his son had been set-netting off the coast of Karitane for years, and in the past few years, kingfish had become much more common.
In the past, they were lucky to catch one or two a season, but now they were catching up to 12 a day.
Mr Anderson said most commercial fisherman did not have a quota for kingfish because in the past, they had been so few in numbers that it was not worth it.
Now that kingfish are more common in Otago waters, some fishermen were having to pay tens of thousands of dollars per season in fines because they were accidentally netting so many while fishing for other species.
An MPI spokesman said the total allowable commercial catch (quota) for kingfish in southeast/Southern New Zealand (KIN 3) was one tonne, which
reflected the fact kingfish catches in the area had previously been rare.
However, in the most recent fishing year, 3.3 tonnes of kingfish were caught, he said.
''Fishers who were unable to cover their catch with quota incurred a deemed value payment [fine].
''This, and other reports suggest kingfish abundance in southern New Zealand has increased.
''However, it is not clear at this point if this is a long-term or short-term change in numbers.
''MPI is monitoring the fishery and will be assessing whether a change to the fishery settings is required over the next few months, which would be followed up with extensive consultation with stakeholders before any change is made.''
