August 5, 2026
One of the biggest threats to recreational fishers is proportional allocation of the Total Allowable Catch. Commercial quota owners have spent more than 20 years pursuing this dream, and it was one of the most controversial elements of the recent Fisheries Amendment Bill. LegaSea and our partners remain determined to keep this sleeping giant at ... Read more.
August 5, 2026
It’s been a big year for our fish. Communities around the country have lodged more than 10 applications to close local areas to harvest for some or all species. And there’s been widespread public opposition to the Fisheries Amendment Bill forcing the Minister to put it on hold until after the election. Most recently, we ... Read more.
August 1, 2026
Article originally published in The Adventurer magazine, August 2026. For generations, tarakihi has been a Coromandel staple. It feels like only yesterday we could head out and guarantee a couple of tarakihi in the chilly bin or a fillet or two to go with our Friday night fish & chips. That certainty is gone. Tarakihi ... Read more.
July 15, 2026
Tarakihi populations around the country are in trouble. On the east coast, around 92% of the estimated adult population has gone, and 71% from the west coast. Commercial catch limits need to be drastically reduced so tarakihi numbers can rebuild. Have your say now on what needs to happen next.
June 30, 2026
Article originally published in Mahurangi Matters, June 2026 Rockpools are being stripped bare. Our intertidal coastline is under growing pressure, and we can no longer ignore the damage. Local communities, including Whangapāroa, have genuine concerns about the ongoing depletion of rocky shore species such as limpets, cat’s eyes, whelks, and periwinkles. It’s not too late ... Read more.
June 30, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, June 2026. Fisheries New Zealand is proposing major new restrictions on recreational harvesting of shellfish and invertebrates along Auckland’s east and west coast and the Coromandel coastline. If implemented, the closures will affect our ability to gather kaimoana such as cockles, kina and pāua from rocky shores ... Read more.
June 18, 2026
The controversial Fisheries Amendment Bill has been put on ice and will not be progressed by the current government. “This is an incredible victory for New Zealand’s fisheries, our marine environment, and the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who refused to be ignored”, Said Scott Macindoe, President of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. ... Read more.
May 28, 2026
May 28 is National Kahawai Day – a day to celebrate one of New Zealand’s most iconic and accessible fish. For generations, kahawai has been the people’s fish. It’s the fish of summer holidays, surfcasting with the kids, early mornings with grandparents, and the unmistakable smell of fresh kahawai cooking after a day on the ... Read more.
May 6, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, May 2026 What do we want? To kill the Fisheries Amendment Bill. When do we want it? Now. In April and May, more than 30,000 concerned Kiwis made their submission opposing the Bill. “Corrupt”, “rotten” and “shocking” were just some of the words that were used to ... Read more.
April 29, 2026
Just 16 working days. That’s all the time the government gave Kiwis to read, understand, and respond to some of the most consequential changes to fisheries legislation. If enacted, the Fisheries Amendment Bill means less transparency, more fish exported, and fewer fish to feed our families. There is no goodwill. The Bill was issued in ... Read more.
