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October 7, 2026
Unlikely, because fishers will be able to sell their fish directly to the public without having to pay lease costs to the quota landlord. Under the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council’s and LegaSea’s alternative policy, Rescue Fish, Ika Rauora, fish could become more affordable for everyday Kiwis. This is because it would remove quota ownership, ... Read more.
October 7, 2026
Under the Quota Management System, many inshore fishers lease their catching rights from quota owners, on the condition that they must sell their catch back to that quota owner. This leaves fishers little freedom to sell directly to the public. Unless they have a special permit, they can only sell up to 10 kilos of ... Read more.
October 7, 2026
A slipper skipper is a quota owner who never goes to sea and collects profits without ever touching the water. Instead of fishing themselves, they lease their catching rights to the fishers who do the hard work.
October 1, 2026
The Quota Management System (QMS) has concentrated and privatised control of our fisheries to a handful of major quota owners. This has had a detrimental impact on our fish, the fishers, Māori and our coastal communities. We need a system that removes private property rights, incentivises selective, low-impact fishing methods, and puts the health and ... Read more.
September 24, 2026
Under coalition arrangements nothing is guaranteed, that’s why it’s important to understand where lots of parties stand in terms of fisheries policy. Having cross-party support for restoring the abundance of fish means there is more chance of getting a Minister that will work towards that collective goal.
September 24, 2026
Because the marine environment and fishing is important to millions of New Zealanders. For the first time, fisheries is an election issue. This means Kiwis now have an opportunity to align their normal vote with the party that best fits in with their fishing interests.
September 24, 2026
LegaSea is non-partisan. We do not support any specific political party. We are committed to raising public awareness, showing people where each political party stands in regards to issues that are important to our marine environment, fish and fishing. This is to make it easier for people to make an informed decision and back the ... Read more.
August 27, 2026
Results from the most recent survey estimating snapper mortality due to recreational fishing were published by Fisheries New Zealand in July 2026. That research found that around 250 tonnes of snapper in northern waters die annually when discarded by recreational fishers. A large percentage of those discarded fish were in the Hauraki Gulf, around 23% ... Read more.
August 27, 2026
Release mortality is the fish that are caught, returned to water, then die. For snapper, two things drive it: the depth a fish is caught in (deeper water brings a higher risk of barotrauma, swim bladder damage that can stop a fish getting back down) and where it’s hooked (a fish hooked in the throat ... Read more.
August 27, 2026
Most released snapper live. Survival rates largely depend on fishing depth and where the fish is hooked. Gill hooked and gut hooked fish have the worst survival rates. In the most recent study, only about 3% of snapper were seen floating at the surface, and considered ‘dead’. It is likely that some snapper that swam ... Read more.
