April 15, 2026
Section 13 – Removing environmental considerations when setting catch limits. Removes environmental safeguards, allowing the Minister to set catch limits without considering the effect of fishing on the wider marine environment and species not in the Quota Management System. (Note – there are only 98 species in the QMS). The Fisheries Amendment Bill prioritises commercial ... Read more.
April 15, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, April 2026. The Coalition government has made a serious mistake in backing the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries’ most sweeping changes to fisheries legislation in the past 40 years. Kiwis are outraged. And rightly so. More than 25,000 New Zealanders rejected the proposed changes to the Fisheries ... Read more.
March 30, 2026
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 ... Read more.
March 25, 2026
MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday, 25 March Fisheries Bill Still Not Dead Pressure is growing on the government to drop a controversial Bill that has riled the public into action over the past week. Fishing and environmental advocacy groups have been rallying against the Fisheries Amendment Bill since its release last week. The ‘Kill the Bill’ campaign ... Read more.
March 18, 2026
Few things unite Kiwis like the ocean. Our love of being out on or under the water runs deep. The Auckland Boatshow in early March showcased this, where thousands turned out to support the marine businesses that make our time on the water possible. Thanks to NZ Marine, the LegaSea team were lucky enough to ... Read more.
March 4, 2026
LegaSea exists to highlight the public’s stake in a healthy, abundant ocean. That’s why we’re deeply concerned about proposed changes to the Fisheries Act that would make it harder for the public to challenge fisheries decisions that affect us all. Shane Jones, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, is proposing to cut the time allowed ... Read more.
February 19, 2026
Being able to step out the door with a bucket and gather pipis used to be one of the simple joys of living near the coast. For many of us around the Hauraki Gulf, that experience is now a distant memory. The abundance of critters within our rocky intertidal zones have been steadily declining, largely ... Read more.
February 19, 2026
Updated April 2026 In everyday life, fines act as a deterrent. They may be less serious than jail time, but they create a strong incentive to stop doing the wrong thing. At sea, that basic logic no longer seems to apply. The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones is a self-described champion of the ... Read more.
February 13, 2026
Article originally published in Mahurangi Matters, January 2026. It’s no secret that the Hauraki Gulf is a unique place. So special, in fact, that more than 25 years ago it was given the status of New Zealand’s first Marine Park and acquired its own protective legislation. The legislation is clear. The purpose of the Hauraki ... Read more.
January 12, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, January 2026. A new video has emerged showing the same disturbing scene we’ve seen before, of hundreds of lifeless snapper drifting in the sea. These mass mortalities are no accident, they are likely a result of a bottom trawler dumping unwanted catch overboard. What’s happening beneath the ... Read more.
