LegaSea newsletters

LegaSea newsletter #161 – Shane Jones is an Island (and not a very good one)

March 20, 2025 We’ve been swamped by pragmatic Kiwis alarmed by Shane Jones’s fisheries reform proposals. Sure, reforms can be positive – just not this one. It’s a scam – literally defined as a “fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.” If the proposed changes go ahead, they’ll strip away public consultation from important future fisheries decisions, limit camera visibility on boats […]

LegaSea newsletter #160 – The Fisheries Reform Scam!

March 12, 2025 It’s time to step up and introduce our campaign, a direct response opposing Shane Jones’ proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act. The Minister has made it clear that he’s out to privatise our fisheries and we’re saying the proposals aren’t reforms, they’re a scam. The Fisheries Reform Scam is a proposal that sounds innocent enough on […]

LegaSea newsletter #159 – Nothing to see here – Jones Threatens To Reduce Transparency

March 5, 2025 Marine ecosystems in New Zealand are already under serious pressure. Yet our Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, is pushing changes to the Fisheries Act that would undermine the very transparency measures – like onboard cameras and public access to footage – that have exposed the real impact of commercial fishing.

LegaSea newsletter #158 – Public Fish, Private Profits: Who Does Shane Jones Really Serve?

February 24, 2025 Shane Jones’ latest proposal package, conveniently framed as a “Fisheries Reform”, is nothing but a wishlist of changes hunted by quota owners for over two decades. It represents a major loosening of controls on commercial fishing and grants wide powers to the Minister to increase commercial catches on a whim. The Fisheries Act is being […]

Shane Jones’ Fisheries Reforms Prioritise Industry Over Public Interest

February 18, 2025 This morning’s announcement by Shanes Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, proposed major changes to the Fisheries Act that threaten to remove public consultation, weaken governance, camera regulations, and discard rules. During the press conference, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries was overt in his support for commercial fishers and quota owners. At the same […]

LegaSea newsletter #156 – Brand new year, still the same old crap

January 22, 2025 We hope you’re feeling recharged after the summer break because we’ll need every ounce of energy to tackle what may be the most shocking example of regulatory capture by the commercial fishing industry yet. Right now, we’re staring down the grim reality of a proposed commercial catch increase in CRA 2 (Te Arai Point down […]

LegaSea newsletter #155 – A tribute to fish, fishing and friends

December 18, 2024 There’s something about fishing that just feels good for the soul. Whether it’s a day spent drifting quietly on still waters, casting your line past the breakers on the beach, or heading out wide with your closest mates, it offers a gentle reprieve from the relentless buzz of everyday life. For so many of us […]

LegaSea Newsletter #154 – Make Black Friday count

November 22, 2024 As Black Friday approaches, the buzz of deals and discounts fills the air, but beneath the surface, another kind of blackness is spreading – one that threatens the very lifeblood of New Zealand’s identity: our oceans. The Quota Management System (QMS), once seen as a beacon of sustainable fishing, has devolved into a mechanism prioritising […]

LegaSea newsletter #154 – Travesty in the Marine Park

November 13, 2024 In the marine world, everything is in constant motion – shifting, ebbing, flowing, breaking down, and rebuilding. It’s never a dull moment out there, which is exactly why we love it so much. Kiwis are incredibly passionate about fishing, boating, and our oceans in general. One of the great joys of living in New Zealand […]

LegaSea newsletter #153 – Labour weekend is the perfect time to get your boat ready for a dip

October 23, 2024 It’s been a whirlwind year so far! We’ve faced some seriously counterproductive decisions from Fisheries NZ, watched the government push for fast-tracking sand and seabed mining, and to top it off, dealt with a flood of mushy-fleshed and zombie fish — keeping things more than interesting. As the days grow warmer and longer, and Labour […]