September 2, 2018
Crayfish on the northeast coast is just one of a litany of fish stocks well below what ordinary Kiwis would consider abundant and available. This dissatisfaction was evidenced during LegaSea’s recent Crayfish Crisis campaign when so many divers, fishers, and the New Zealand Underwater Association stood up and had their say. LegaSea was grateful for […]
August 27, 2018
In less time than it took to implement the Quota Management System and see its virtual demise, the public service has morphed into an array of government agencies operating on skin-tight budgets and answering primarily to corporate leaders. Fisheries is not immune. A rebranded Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) is now just one layer of many […]
August 25, 2018
This article was written prior to the release of the Minister’s tarakihi decision on 19th September 2018. LegaSea is celebrating the ongoing willingness of recreational fishers to conserve fish. On the flip side when we do volunteer conservation we need to make sure our collective efforts are effective and not used as a weapon against […]
August 14, 2018
LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council welcome the prosecution of Hawke’s Bay Seafood after the longest running district court case on record. The prosecution was brought against Antonino, Giancarlo and Marcus D’Espositofor falsifying catch records and exporting more fish to Australia than the company had reportedly caught. The Ministry for Primary Industries need […]
August 7, 2018
A draft report, ‘The Future Catch – Preserving recreational fisheries for the next generation’ was released on August 1st, 2017. The report is authored by Randall Bess, supported by The New Zealand Initiative, and funded by the US-based Aotearoa Foundation (Julian Robertson) and the late Sir Douglas Myers. This report follows a visit to Western […]
July 30, 2018
Tarakihi is a mealtime favourite for people who fish and those who buy it retail because it is notoriously good for cooking when fresh. Things are about to change between Otago and Northland. The main stocks on New Zealand’s east coast are severely depleted so substantial cuts to commercial catches are required to rebuild the […]
July 27, 2018
Tarakihi stocks on the eastern coasts of both islands are so depleted that the Minister of Fisheries must implement a rebuild plan before October 2018, and recreational fishing is in the firing line. Decades of trawling, dumping and high grading have taken their toll. Major catch reductions are required between Otago and North Cape if […]
July 26, 2018
This article was written prior to the submission being completed and sent to Fisheries New Zealand. To see the current discussion on changes to recreational daily bag limits please read the submission in full here. Without exception, recreational fishers attending meetings with LegaSea have strongly supported conserving fish for future generations. Tarakihi management is currently […]
July 6, 2018
Stuart Nash, Minister of Fisheries In just one week 48 separate items of news appeared in the media pointing to leaked reports identifying mass fish dumping, years of non-compliance, blatant under-reporting of thousands of tonnes of New Zealand fish and MPI senior officials turning a blind eye. How much more can we and our fisheries […]
June 29, 2018
Employing the right techniques in how we fish is the first step to reducing our impact on our fishery and the marine environment. All users of the resource, commercial, recreational and customary must fish in a responsible manner. The purpose of selective techniques is to avoid catching fish you don’t want e.g. undersized specimens. This […]
