Articles

Reducing waste is a priority

August 25, 2014 LegaSea is advocating a bottom-up approach to rebuilding our fisheries. That is because mortality on small fish can be reduced at minimal cost and yet it has the greatest benefit to the rate of rebuild. Snapper caught in trawl and Danish seine nets need to have a strict maximum juvenile mortality rate applied to the […]

Snapper update

August 9, 2014 Since the beginning of the year there have been five meetings of the multi-stakeholder Snapper 1 Strategy Group. Our recreational representatives are ready to discuss the important issues of management targets to increase overall biomass in Area 1, but it is slow going. Increasing biomass means having a thriving population of more and bigger fish. […]

Let’s Tip The Scales

August 8, 2014 LegaSea has developed 5 principles to help Tip the Scales towards more abundant fisheries and fairer management decisions. Our team has sent these principles and specific policy recommendations to all of the political parties. We have asked them to adopt these principles and deliver more public friendly fisheries policy. But, they will only be swayed […]

Marlborough Sounds blue cod

July 30, 2014 Frustrated recreational representatives in the Marlborough Sounds are pleased Nathan Guy has acknowledged their management concerns, but are dismayed it has taken eight months to receive a response from the Minister for Primary Industries. After sending two letters and a delegation to Wellington the Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association’s (MRFA) concerns were seemingly ignored until May […]

Building LegaSea

July 30, 2014 “To rebuild our fishery we need qualified tradesmen” This sums up LegaSea’s new engagement campaign that is targeted at New Zealand’s construction industry. Statistics reveal that Kiwis involved in all aspects of construction whether in materials supply, plumbing, building, electrical, machinery and even design, love to fish. Fishing is as much the subject of conversation […]

Snapper 1 discussions

July 30, 2014 The multi-stakeholder Snapper 1 Strategy Group has had three meetings, with the fourth due in mid-June. Our recreational representatives are keen to get stuck into discussing the important issues of management targets to increase overall biomass in Area 1, but it is slow going. Increasing biomass means having a thriving population of more and bigger […]

Management not just about money

July 21, 2014 Recent Ministerial decisions for crayfish and southern scallops have proven how unbalanced our fisheries management regime has become, in favour of commercial interests. Setting unrealistic commercial catch limits just invites vigorous fishing effort for diminishing fish stocks. It also deprives us, as recreational fishers, the opportunity to enjoy a reasonable catch for a day’s effort. […]

Working together for marine ecosystems

July 1, 2014 It was good to see many of you at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in Auckland. Sharing information and getting your feedback during the 4-day show made the team’s effort worthwhile. Your thoughts on our future plans are most welcome so please stay in touch. A big thanks to the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat […]

Targeting bigger fish and more of them

June 20, 2014 LegaSea is promoting a rebuild of our inshore fisheries, to a minimum target level of 40% of their virgin biomass, or unfished stock size. That’s B40. B40 means more fish get to grow to a decent size. B40 also means our fisheries will be more robust and able to cope with any dramatic events, like […]

Shameful crayfish management

May 15, 2014 Time has once again been used as a weapon against us, this time to limit our response to outrageous proposals that will keep Bay of Plenty crayfish stocks at all-time low levels. By now the new regime will be in place and our northeastern cray fishery could be another casualty in the race to the […]