Kouru (Red Rock Lobster)

Supporting the industry - Daryl Sykes

His twenty season experience as a commercial rock lobster fisherman on the southern north island coast of New Zealand gave Daryl Sykes both inspiration and enthusiasm to pursue a new career in rock lobster fisheries research and management.  As a consultant industry representative and advocate Daryl has encouraged improved levels of understanding and respect between fisheries stakeholder groups and bureaucrats, enabling well-informed and better directed outcomes in regards to fishery management and resource allocation.

Daryl was a full time professional lobster fisherman from 1971 to 1991 and operated through three different fisheries management regimes during that period.  When he came ashore in 1992 Daryl specialized in “change management” advice to guide fishermen and processors through management regime transitions.  He has extensively covered property rights/collective management issues in magazine articles, conference presentations and industry workshops in New Zealand and overseas.  He retains a link to the NZ RLIC and other fishing industry groups as a Senior Technical Adviser.

The kōura (red rock lobster) is an icon of Aotearoa’s coastal waters — a species woven deeply into both marine ecology and Māori tradition. Once abundant along the rocky reefs of Northland, kōura now face pressure from overfishing, habitat loss, and a changing climate.

Through the shared principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), the Department of Conservation, Fisheries New Zealand, and local hapū continue to protect this treasured taonga. For Māori, kōura embodies prosperity and connection to Tangaroa, the god of the sea — a living reminder of balance between taking and giving back.

This work is an expression of respect for our oceans and the responsibility we all share to protect them.

Painting Koura was both a technical and emotional journey. Capturing the richness of its crimson armour — the interplay of light, translucence, and life — demanded immense patience and precision.

Few subjects such as this, embody such strength and vulnerability. The oura’s intricate surface, shifting from coral red to deep shadow, mirrors the complexity of the marine world itself — fragile yet enduring.

For the artist, this piece represents not only mastery of form and colour, but a heartfelt connection to Tangaroa and the living pulse of the sea. It is both celebration and reminder — that beauty is born from balance, and skill from deep respect.