As public opposition to the Fisheries Amendment Bill grows, critics are calling for the bill to be voted down ahead of its first reading tomorrow (March 31).
Removing crucial changes such as undersized fish is a start, but there are other controversial elements much more alarming than legalising the harvest of baby snapper. This includes a number of reforms not consulted on in 2025 that need to be removed, said Sam Woolford from LegaSea.
With LegaSea’s “Kill the Bill’ campaign continuing to gain traction, concerns about the reforms include lowering environmental standards, legalising dumping of unwanted catch (including undersized fish), and the privatisation of New Zealand’s public fishery.
“If you think killing baby snapper is bad, there are many other elements of the Bill that will have far reaching economic and environmental impacts for New Zealand.”
“The Bill is being promoted as a way to increase the value of seafood exports, but it is prioritising commercial interests over public access and long-term sustainability.”
He said the Bill is a direct conflict to the primary objective of the current Fisheries Act which is to manage the fisheries sustainably, not prioritise seafood exports.
“For an issue of this magnitude, where is the harm in making haste slowly? The public of New Zealand have had little over a week to digest this dense piece of legislation. The initial reaction made it clear it is not popular meaning the government should not be so intent on rushing it through the legislative process.”
Key Issues:
- Legalising the landing and sale of undersized fish.
- Lowering environmental protections.
- Increased allocation to commercial interests.
- Lack of transparency, including restricted access to camera footage.
- Introduction of new clauses not consulted in 2025.
- A proposed 20-working day limit on judicial review.
- The Bill must go back to Cabinet for reconsideration.
“People are outraged that this government is prioritising feeding wealthy overseas diners while Kiwis struggle to catch fish to feed their families,” Woolford said.
“They may not be able to digest 50 pages of amendments, but they do understand that gifting more fish to commercial interests, legalising dumping, and denying public access to camera footage is not a recipe for long-term sustainability.”
“The public will not accept a 20-working day limit on judicial review. Every New Zealander has a stake in how our fish stocks are managed, and restricting the right to challenge ministerial decisions is unacceptable.”
Call to action:
LegaSea is encouraging New Zealanders to contact their local MP and call for the Fisheries Amendment Bill to be voted down.
LegaSea Kill the Bill campaign.
