Articles

Privatisation proposals shrouded in weasel speak

March 11, 2025 Published in NZ Fishing World, March 2025 Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, only has himself to blame for any political downside coming his Coalition’s way after releasing the latest set of radical proposals to privatise New Zealand’s fisheries. A LegaSea campaign pushing back against the proposals is underway now and requires strong opposition […]

Public loses out on fisheries deregulation

February 25, 2025 Published in The Adventurer, February 2025 The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones is seeking to overhaul fisheries management by stripping back regulations and removing so-called ‘red tape’— to enable the commercial fishing industry to catch and export more fish. Behind layers of political jargon, the changes proposed in a 71-page document pose serious […]

Crayfish depletion highlights poor management

February 17, 2025 Published in Mahurangi Matters, February 2025 A couple of hours, snorkel, mask and a diving buddy used to be all you needed to bring home a couple of crays you promised to share with family and friends. Now, we’re left with broken promises and empty hands. Crayfish populations in the Hauraki Gulf are so depleted […]

Fisheries reforms prioritise industry over public interest

February 14, 2025 Recreational fishing and environmental advocates are calling for a strong public movement to oppose changes to the Fisheries Act which threatens New Zealand’s staple fish species and the marine environment. The proposal, announced by Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, includes a variety of reforms to the Fisheries Act, such as removing public consultation […]

Pressure on Crayfish set to rise in Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty

January 23, 2025 Media Release A new proposal to increase commercial crayfish catch limits threatens to deplete already dangerously low crayfish populations in significant coastal areas of east Northland and the Hauraki Gulf. Fisheries NZ is looking to increase commercial catch limits on the northeast coast of New Zealand between Te Arai Point and East Cape, an area […]

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

January 20, 2025 Sharing is caring and now sharing can contribute towards conservation. Sharing the unwanted parts from your freshly caught fish is one of the easiest ways to help restore our inshore fish populations. It’s simple. If we make better use of what we catch, we can catch fewer fish while still feeding our friends and families. […]

Another Christmas with no scallops

December 30, 2024 What does a Highly Protected Area and a closed scallop fishery have in common? Both signal that New Zealand’s fisheries management is failing, and you are paying the price for that failure. The consequences of poor management are restrictions on your ability to catch scallops or fish for your family. In our last two articles […]

Free Fish Heads is back!

December 10, 2024 We’re pleased to announce the release of the new Free Fish Heads app. Get it now on Google Play and the App Store. Experience the true spirit of community and sustainability with the Free Fish Heads app. We’re on a mission to connect local New Zealand fishers with seafood lovers eager to enjoy the often-overlooked parts of the […]

Introducing the new ‘Hardly Protected Areas’

November 20, 2024 False promises and pretences are all that remains of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill. Despite the tagline to “restore the Hauraki Gulf”, last-minute amendments will exclude public access to prioritise commercial interests. This legislative process has been hijacked by industrial fishing interests to maintain the status quo. This means no fishing with your family […]

Travesty in the Marine Park

November 13, 2024 WARNING – this content may be highly aggravating. We suggest you take a deep breath before we explain why the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill will not restore the Hauraki Gulf and instead exclude public access in order to prioritise commercial interests. Since the Sea Change process began in 2013, all parties involved agreed that […]