November 26, 2025
The government is proposing to amend regulations to allow the commercial exploitation of highly-valued non-commercial marine species, including our marlin and some protected reef fish species. While the rest of the world is putting in place more protections for at-risk species, our government seems determined to prioritise commercial fishing over the environment and non-commercial interests.
November 26, 2025
This article was originally published in Mahurangi Matters, November 2025 New High Protection Areas enforcing tighter restrictions on where people can fish are now in force across the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Officials have created these HPAs in an attempt to address the ongoing depletion of our coastal fisheries. Nothing has been done to reduce ... Read more.
November 26, 2025
MAKE A SUBMISSION ON THE COMMERCIALISATION OF MARLIN AND 19 REEF FISH SPECIES NOW! We need your help. The government has proposed to let commercial fishers keep and sell marlin by-catch that arrive to the boat dead. Marlin in New Zealand waters have been a non-commercial species since the 1990s, protected to support the coastal ... Read more.
November 20, 2025
This month feels like a turning point. The push to commercialise marlin has taken centre stage, a reminder of how quickly protections can be chipped away and how easily history can repeat itself if we let it. Alongside that, the government’s wider regulatory package has arrived, packed with 19 proposals that tilt the balance even ... Read more.
November 18, 2025
Back in the 1990s, the rules around commercially landing swordfish were changed to be “bycatch only”. On paper, it sounded sensible – commercial fishers couldn’t target them, only land swordfish that were accidentally killed while chasing tuna. But the numbers told a different story. After that rule change, “bycatch” landings of swordfish exploded. Reported landings ... Read more.
November 7, 2025
There are some things that are just plain wrong. Just like the government’s latest proposals to open our marlin and 19 reef fish, including red moki and boarfish, to commercial exploitation. We are not going to stand by. We’re fighting for our most valued species, before the government hands over even more of our fish ... Read more.
November 6, 2025
Around 100,000 tourists to New Zealand fish in the sea according to a 2016 study. While the Covid pandemic may have changed some behaviours, the $177 million in annual economic activity that those visitors generated is a good reason why we would want to attract international fishers back to our shores. Quality fishing experiences are ... Read more.
November 5, 2025
Opinion, by Peter Van Eekelen. Peter is a member and past president of the Pegasus Bay Game Fishing in Canterbury, and the Zone 7 delegate to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. For generations, blue cod has been central to life on the South Island’s east coast. It is more than just a meal on ... Read more.
October 30, 2025
This article was originally published in The Adventurer newspaper, October 2025. The collapse and subsequent closure of the Coromandel scallop fishery in 2022 marked the end of the tradition that once defined the start of spring. The September 1st tradition used to include sliding on your snorkel and wetsuit (that fits a bit more snug ... Read more.
October 29, 2025
This article was originally published in Local Matters. 28 October 2025. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since we were last able to gather and savour fresh scallops from our own backyard. For many of us, sharing a feed of scallops was woven into our coastal lifestyle, connecting friends and family. Decades of ... Read more.
