Under the Fisheries Act 1983 fisheries are to be managed under an optimal sustainable yield strategy. An optimal allocation of fish resources requires that the needs of all users are fully considered. In New Zealand almost nothing is known of the needs of amateur fishers. Methods for assessing the level of participation, catch and user-value, were tested on the Kaikoura Amateur Fishery for rock lobsters. It was found that amateur harvest of rock lobsters for the Kaikoura Peninsula is a significant proportion of the total harvest. No accurate figure for user value was able to be placed on the amateur fishery.