November 6, 2025
Around 100,000 tourists to New Zealand fish in the sea according to a 2016 study. While the Covid pandemic may have changed some behaviours, the $177 million in annual economic activity that those visitors generated is a good reason why we would want to attract international fishers back to our shores. Quality fishing experiences are ... Read more.
November 5, 2025
Opinion, by Peter Van Eekelen. Peter is a member and past president of the Pegasus Bay Game Fishing in Canterbury, and the Zone 7 delegate to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. For generations, blue cod has been central to life on the South Island’s east coast. It is more than just a meal on ... Read more.
October 30, 2025
This article was originally published in The Adventurer newspaper, October 2025. The collapse and subsequent closure of the Coromandel scallop fishery in 2022 marked the end of the tradition that once defined the start of spring. The September 1st tradition used to include sliding on your snorkel and wetsuit (that fits a bit more snug ... Read more.
October 29, 2025
This article was originally published in Local Matters. 28 October 2025. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since we were last able to gather and savour fresh scallops from our own backyard. For many of us, sharing a feed of scallops was woven into our coastal lifestyle, connecting friends and family. Decades of ... Read more.
October 22, 2025
We’ve been scammed. New legislation to protect six percent of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is being hailed as a success, yet we could have had 100 percent of the seabed protected if politicians were bold enough. The Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025 became a reality on 10 October, 2025. It authorises ... Read more.
October 22, 2025
None of us had a say in it yet the Coalition agreement has become the excuse to drive radical change. Even in the face of overwhelming public opposition. In terms of fisheries, the Coalition agreement reads – “Deliver longer durations for marine farming permits and remove regulations that impede the productivity and enormous potential of ... Read more.
October 20, 2025
Locals, business leaders and interest groups unite against destructive fishing methods Lack of action from central government has resulted in a bold move by the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) to restrict commercial fishing in Coromandel waters. Scott Macindoe, President of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council (NZSFC), says the decision highlights that local communities will ... Read more.
September 16, 2025
Crayfish numbers in areas across the Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel are depleted. In response, Fisheries NZ has proposed drastic management measures that could impact the Kiwi summer you’ve been dreaming about all winter. FNZ proposals include a closure to crayfish harvesting in east Northland, and extending that closure to include the coastline ... Read more.
August 27, 2025
From Mahurangi Matters, August 2025. There was a time when packs of crayfish marched in their thousands from East Cape up the northeast coast. The seafloor hidden beneath a moving mass of antennas and limbs – a magnificent sight. Today these marches are rare. Instead, red rock lobster populations across east Northland are at crisis ... Read more.
July 30, 2025
Published in The Adventurer Magazine Jack Mackerel – those slippery little fish you chuck on your hook as bait to catch something bigger – are far more important than they’re given credit for. These so-called baitfish are a fundamental food source for larger predatory fish, marine mammals and seabirds. Without them, our coastal ecosystems begin ... Read more.
