December 19, 2025
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, December 2025. It’s fair to say that a good percentage of Kiwi fishers are obsessed with marlin. This magnificent species has long been part of our coastal identity. So much so it’s hard to miss the marlin emblems displayed on logos, T-shirts and signs across Northland, Coromandel ... Read more.
December 1, 2025
Article originally published in The Adventurer magazine, December 2025 For most of us, an early Saturday morning means heading out on the water to bring home kaimoana to share with friends and family. But on 22 November, more than 1000 Kiwis swapped the boat ramp for the Auckland harbour bridge, joining the One Ocean Protest ... Read more.
November 30, 2025
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone Magazine, November 2025. Trouble is brewing across the fishing community due to the new “protection areas” that limit public fishing in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Some groups are celebrating the passing of the Marine Protection Bill enabling these new areas. We feel anger, sadness and disappointment. What ... Read more.
November 26, 2025
This article was originally published in Mahurangi Matters, November 2025 New High Protection Areas enforcing tighter restrictions on where people can fish are now in force across the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Officials have created these HPAs in an attempt to address the ongoing depletion of our coastal fisheries. Nothing has been done to reduce ... Read more.
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.
