The Ministry of Fisheries has been pressured to further justify the extent of the blue cod fishery closure in the Marlborough Sounds.
Last month, it announced the fishery would be closed to both commercial and recreational fishers for four years from October, to allow fish stocks to recover.
The National Party has asked Parliament's Primary Production Committee to further explain the decision, which the ministry has agreed to do at the end of this month.
National's fisheries spokesperson, Phil Heatley, says given the wide area involved, the closure will put blue cod numbers in other areas under much more pressure.
