Port Nicholson Fisheries
a half century of responsible lobster harvesting
Who we are
For over fifty years, Port Nicholson Fisheries has been catching live lobster from the pure, pristine waters surrounding Aotearoa (New Zealand). The company is 100% owned by Aotearoa's indigenous Māori peoples and has grown to become the country’s second-largest exporter of live lobster, embodying the traditional values of authenticity, responsible harvest of seafood resources, and deep respect for our communities. These long-held values now underpin today's investment in technology and processing, delivering the highest quality product for our customers and a better future for generations to come.
What we do
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Port Nicholson Fisheries works with fishers across a vast ocean area covering more than a million square kilometers of New Zealand's remote, pristine waters. We land hand-caught Southern Rock Lobster (jasus edwardsii) at nine locations around the country's North Island and the Chatham Islands (700 km east of the mainland).
These are rapidly transported to our export facilities in Auckland and Wellington. Most of our live lobsters are hand-packed and freighted by air to customers in Asia; while whole frozen lobsters and lobster tails are sold across Asia as well as in North America and Europe.
As one of Aotearoa's larger players in the lobster fisheries industry, we also play a role in helping to manage the country's kōura (lobster) resource. We liaise closely with industry regulators to ensure harvesting is undertaken sustainably throughout the year and work closely with fishers
to help them maximize their returns by:
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educating on best fishing practices
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sharing analysis on lobster quality
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providing fishers with market feedback