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February 19, 2026
Deemed value penalties are financial penalties commercial fishers are required to pay when they catch more fish than they are legally allowed. Commercial fishers must acquire Annual Catch Entitlements (ACE) to cover the fish they catch. If they catch more fish than they have ACE, they must buy more ACE. If they cannot source enough ... Read more.
May 30, 2025
The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is calling the proposed changes to the Fisheries Act a reform package, claiming that they will improve responsiveness, efficiency and certainty of how our fisheries are managed. The proposed changes are not real reforms. They are changes to give more control to commercial interests at the expense of the ... Read more.
May 30, 2025
The “reforms” to the Fisheries Act will make it easier for quota owners to access and export our fish by reducing regulations, fast-tracking decisions and weakening sustainability safeguards. It also means quota owners can decide how much fish is caught during the year, a statutory function normally exercised by the Minister.
May 30, 2025
They could have a big impact on recreational fishing and access to our most popular species. The proposals mean that commercial fishers get to determine how much fish is caught, where and when. The Minister is the only person with a statutory duty to limit catches and make sure there is enough fish in the ... Read more.
May 30, 2025
Commercial fishing industry representatives spent a year developing a wishlist of changes. The Minister directed Fisheries New Zealand to work with the Seafood Industry Forum to develop a proposal package for public consultation. Recreational fishing and environmental representatives were deliberately not invited to participate in those discussions.
May 30, 2025
If successful some of the proposals will weaken environmental safeguards designed to protect the productivity and biodiversity of marine waters. These protection measures have been built up over many years after a lot of advocacy by recreational fishing organisations and other eNGOs. It will also mean less fish in the water. The proposals do not ... Read more.
May 30, 2025
Yes! Previous Ministers have tried to introduce similar policies in the past but due to immense public backlash they have not succeeded.
May 30, 2025
More fish in the water. Real reform is only possible if adequate governance and management structures are put in place. To get there we need to reform the whole Quota Management System. It is nearly 40 years old and still permits destructive fishing methods and overfishing. The government must support commercial fishers to transition away ... Read more.
May 30, 2025
An Amendment Bill is being drafted. We expect the Bill will go before a Select Committee in March 2026. The public will only get to have a say at the Select Committee stage. Our reality – the proposed changes could be locked into legislation by the end of 2026.
May 30, 2025
LegaSea and our parent organisation the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council will be working hard to fight against any adverse amendments to the Fisheries Act. Money and widespread awareness are keys to our success. Here’s how you can help; Subscribe to receive LegaSea newsletters and stay updated on the Minister’s proposals. Commit $20 a month ... Read more.
