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LegaSea newsletter #161 – Shane Jones is an Island (and not a very good one)

March 20, 2025 We’ve been swamped by pragmatic Kiwis alarmed by Shane Jones’s fisheries reform proposals. Sure, reforms can be positive – just not this one. It’s a scam – literally defined as a “fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.” If the proposed changes go ahead, they’ll strip away public consultation from important future fisheries decisions, limit camera visibility on boats […]

LegaSea newsletter #160 – The Fisheries Reform Scam!

March 12, 2025 It’s time to step up and introduce our campaign, a direct response opposing Shane Jones’ proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act. The Minister has made it clear that he’s out to privatise our fisheries and we’re saying the proposals aren’t reforms, they’re a scam. The Fisheries Reform Scam is a proposal that sounds innocent enough on […]

Privatisation proposals shrouded in weasel speak

March 11, 2025 Published in NZ Fishing World, March 2025 Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, only has himself to blame for any political downside coming his Coalition’s way after releasing the latest set of radical proposals to privatise New Zealand’s fisheries. A LegaSea campaign pushing back against the proposals is underway now and requires strong opposition […]

Public loses out on fisheries deregulation

February 25, 2025 Published in The Adventurer, February 2025 The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones is seeking to overhaul fisheries management by stripping back regulations and removing so-called ‘red tape’— to enable the commercial fishing industry to catch and export more fish. Behind layers of political jargon, the changes proposed in a 71-page document pose serious […]

LegaSea newsletter #158 – Public Fish, Private Profits: Who Does Shane Jones Really Serve?

February 24, 2025 Shane Jones’ latest proposal package, conveniently framed as a “Fisheries Reform”, is nothing but a wishlist of changes hunted by quota owners for over two decades. It represents a major loosening of controls on commercial fishing and grants wide powers to the Minister to increase commercial catches on a whim. The Fisheries Act is being […]

Shane Jones’ Fisheries Reforms Prioritise Industry Over Public Interest

February 18, 2025 This morning’s announcement by Shanes Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, proposed major changes to the Fisheries Act that threaten to remove public consultation, weaken governance, camera regulations, and discard rules. During the press conference, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries was overt in his support for commercial fishers and quota owners. At the same […]

Crayfish depletion highlights poor management

February 17, 2025 Published in Mahurangi Matters, February 2025 A couple of hours, snorkel, mask and a diving buddy used to be all you needed to bring home a couple of crays you promised to share with family and friends. Now, we’re left with broken promises and empty hands. Crayfish populations in the Hauraki Gulf are so depleted […]

Fisheries reforms prioritise industry over public interest

February 14, 2025 Recreational fishing and environmental advocates are calling for a strong public movement to oppose changes to the Fisheries Act which threatens New Zealand’s staple fish species and the marine environment. The proposal, announced by Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, includes a variety of reforms to the Fisheries Act, such as removing public consultation […]