Yellowtail kingfish is a popular fish in New-Zealand, for both professional and recreational fishermen. Catches are being monitored, but the size of the stock is unknown.
There is no focused fishery on this fish, but is a popular bycatch in several fisheries. In these fisheries there are several problems: in longline and gillnet fisheries there is bycatch of seabirds and dolphins. Trawling fisheries have bycatch of dolphins and besides that they do heavy damage to the bottom ecosystem.
The management of this fishery in New-Zealand waters is partially effective.