Summer is a hectic time of year for the LegaSea team as there are so many fund raising events, fishing contests and community gatherings to attend. It is such a buzz to see people enjoying the fishing, the camaraderie with their mates, and spending quality time amongst family. And this is just a snapshot of how fishing provides for our wellbeing.

We must all work together to ensure we have abundant fisheries so our kids can enjoy a meaningful fishing experience. While hard to imagine, their lives are likely to be much busier than ours so they will need time-out, and simple pleasures like fishing, just to stay sane.

One of LegaSea’s 5 Principles is to value recreational fishing. Our fishing supports a vast array of businesses, from boat builders, tackle dealers, bait and ice suppliers and the assortment of fishing media.

Many coastal communities rely on the summer influx of tourists, including fishing families, to maintain their accommodation, fuel and goods supply businesses. It is irrefutable that recreational fishing adds value not only to our lifestyle but also to our communities and national wealth.

In 2013 Seafood New Zealand, the lead industry fishing organisation, submitted against the Minister adjusting the recreational allowance for snapper to meet current needs. Instead, they submitted, (in part) “we would note that the interests of New Zealand are better served by:

• The generation of export receipts rather than the high value consumption of imported components;
• The need to ensure that available savings are channelled into productive investment and not wasteful consumption.

So what does this mean? We stop buying tackle and imported fishing gear? We stop building boats and outboards and seaside infrastructure? Forget about coastal communities who thrive during the summer months?

Not likely!

LegaSea is adamant, recreational fishing and the economy of our fishing activities is not “wasteful consumption”, it is pure gold.