December 2, 2020
Divers, divers everywhere, not a scallop to be seen. We’ve had some grim reports recently about the lack of scallops in Opito Bay, on the eastern seaboard of the Coromandel Peninsula and on the western side of the Peninsula. Sadly, these are not isolated cases of depletion. They represent further examples of poor management of […]
November 26, 2020
The response to the coronavirus threat is proof that our government can go hard and fast when they commit to protecting the interests of all New Zealanders. There are plenty of good reasons why the new government must act with the same haste and financial commitment to rebuild our depleted inshore fish stocks. The Quota […]
October 26, 2020
Calls are getting louder for 30 percent marine protected areas out to 200 nautical miles, including a network of no-take zones. There are major concerns with this set-and-forget strategy. Applying MPA fishing closures to some of our most productive areas will inevitably displace effort, intensifying depletion and biodiversity loss in the other 70% of the […]
September 25, 2020
“Before there were freezers, the fish were left in the ocean until they were needed.” An insightful comment from Dr Davianna Pomaika’i McGregor, director of the University of Hawaii’s Centre for Oral History. She has a deep interest in the indigenous Hawaiian ethos of only taking what you need. Closer to home Maori often express […]
September 23, 2020
Recreational groups have come out strongly in support of the need to ban fishing techniques that damage the seabed in coastal marine waters. Increasingly, science shows that damage to the seafloor caused by fishing is having an exponential impact on the overall health of our marine ecosystems. At the Annual General Meeting of the New […]
September 9, 2020
The process to get monitoring cameras on board commercial fishing vessels is a debacle according to public awareness group LegaSea. The reality, it’s another promise made weeks before an election that won’t be initiated until after the following election cycle. “Cameras on board fishing vessels have been promised by fisheries Ministers since 2014, and last […]
September 1, 2020
Rescue Fish is aimed at increasing the numbers and size of fish in our coastal waters, and in doing so, restoring biodiversity in the marine ecosystem. It will take a collective effort and behavioural changes by all of us to achieve success. A major change will be learning how to fish in an abundant fishery. […]
August 30, 2020
The New Zealand Underwater Association (NZUA) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. The Association is the latest organisation to commit to working alongside LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council to create more abundant coastal fisheries. These groups have committed to working together to […]
August 29, 2020
Surely not. A trawler caught illegal fishing in a protected area can continue to operate even when the Court has ordered its forfeiture to the Crown. In late July Sealord Group was ordered by the Nelson District Court to forfeit a vessel worth $24 million. The company also forfeited the catch, and its crew were […]
August 1, 2020
After seven years of meetings, planning and reports, officials have been told to start actioning improvements to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The Park extends from Pakiri in the north to Waihi in the Bay of Plenty. These waters have been degraded by decades of use, abuse and management paralysis. In a joint submission to […]
