There's disappointment from paua divers over two permits handed out to shark diving operators off Stewart Island.

Great White cage diving off the island has previously been unregulated since it begun in the mid 2000s.

New regulations include the banning of bait and decoy use, as well as keeping it to one location.

But, the chairman of the Paua Industry Council, Storm Stanley says they don't go far enough.

"The conditions that are in place is simply a very minor rehash of the codes of practice that was developed last year.

"There were only four points or difference between the code of practice that was issued last year and this one."

Storm Stanley says his major issue is there's no requirement for a DoC observer on the boats.