Marine recreational fishing is a highly developed activity and has an increasingly global following. In New Zealand, over 30 % of the population participate in recreational fishing and the annual harvest of some species is larger than the commercial catch. It is therefore vital for resource management to include data on recreational take. Since marine recreational fishing and charter boat fisheries in New Zealand are managed outside the Quota Management System (QMS), Area Management Tools (AMT) such as taiapure (local fishery), mataitai (reserves) rahui (temporary closures) can be used to ensure sustainability of certain coastal areas affected by fishing and other activity. The Akaroa Harbour Taiapure was established in 2006 and is currently the only taiapure in Canterbury. The main objective with this study was to characterise the recreational fishery in the Akaroa Harbour Taiapure in order to provide management solutions for this area. Three surveys were set up whereby two were specifically designed to record the recreational take landed on the four most frequently used slipways in Akaroa Harbour. A third survey was to gauge local resident‟s perception on recreational fisheries over time. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used and appropriate statistical analysis applied. Over 451 intercept interviews were conducted on slipways on Banks Peninsula and 138 trip records were returned. Main findings include significant differences in target and landed species, also a shift in areas mostly fished since the previous survey in 1997 by the Ministry of Fisheries. The most frequently landed fish in this study included blue cod, flounder, rock lobster and perch. The perception survey revealed a strong community bond to recreational fishing and a need for increased local input in the management of the Akaroa Harbour Taiapure. The three surveys are recommended to be continued over time in order to create a data base on recreational fishing and also to document local and indigenous knowledge on marine conservation.