[Allan Burgess]

Concerns are high with sea-run salmon in short supply as spawning numbers plummet

by John Bisset / The Timaru Herald

Dated 6 December 2025

The plummeting numbers of sea-run salmon around New Zealand have been touted as a signal of wider challenges for freshwater and marine ecosystems.
“Sea-run salmon are often described as the canary in the coalmine for aquatic environments,” Central South Island (CSI) Fish & Game chief executive Steve McKnight told The Timaru Herald this week.

“Their struggles signal wider challenges for freshwater and marine ecosystems, and all New Zealanders should expect that other species will face similar challenges in the future.

“We can’t turn the clock back, and there is the possibility for our aquatic environments to degrade further.”

The 2025 record low level of spawning sea-run salmon means that, for the first time, the bag limit is one for all anglers in the October 1-April 30 season in the CSI and North Canterbury Fish & Game areas. Read the full story by John Bisset here at The Timaru Herald

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