May 6, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, May 2026 What do we want? To kill the Fisheries Amendment Bill. When do we want it? Now. In April and May, more than 30,000 concerned Kiwis made their submission opposing the Bill. “Corrupt”, “rotten” and “shocking” were just some of the words that were used to ... Read more.
May 6, 2026
The majority of Kiwis reject contentious changes in the Fisheries Amendment Bill, according to new research released ahead of public submissions closing on Wednesday. A Horizon Research poll, surveying 1000 respondents about key changes to the bill, found: 54% oppose allowing the Minister to set fish catch limits without a requirement to consider environmental impacts ... Read more.
April 29, 2026
Just 16 working days. That’s all the time the government gave Kiwis to read, understand, and respond to some of the most consequential changes to fisheries legislation. If enacted, the Fisheries Amendment Bill means less transparency, more fish exported, and fewer fish to feed our families. There is no goodwill. The Bill was issued in ... Read more.
April 22, 2026
Radical. It’s the only word to describe both the proposed changes to fisheries legislation and the growing public opposition to the Fisheries Amendment Bill. There is increasing concern that the Bill, introduced to Parliament by NZ First’s Shane Jones in March, is another move by the Coalition government to privatise what’s left of our fisheries. ... Read more.
April 16, 2026
You’ve been ignored once. Now it’s time to turn things around. The Fisheries Amendment Bill is with the Primary Production Select Committee and is open for public consultation. LegaSea is urging you to have a say because this Bill represents a material threat to our fish, our fishing, and our kids’ interests.
April 15, 2026
Section 13 – Removing environmental considerations when setting catch limits. Removes environmental safeguards, allowing the Minister to set catch limits without considering the effect of fishing on the wider marine environment and species not in the Quota Management System. (Note – there are only 98 species in the QMS). The Fisheries Amendment Bill prioritises commercial ... Read more.
April 15, 2026
Why is the government ignoring high profile Kiwis and strong public sentiment opposing its controversial fisheries reforms? A groundswell of social media commentary, led by fishing advocate Matt Watson, marathon swimmer Jono Ridler, and advocacy group LegaSea, and an outpouring of public reaction has highlighted the far-reaching negative impacts of the Fisheries Amendment Bill. “The ... Read more.
April 15, 2026
Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, April 2026. The Coalition government has made a serious mistake in backing the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries’ most sweeping changes to fisheries legislation in the past 40 years. Kiwis are outraged. And rightly so. More than 25,000 New Zealanders rejected the proposed changes to the Fisheries ... Read more.
April 9, 2026
It’s time to fight for our fish. The Fisheries Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in parliament and public consultation is open. The government has chosen not to delete the amendment to remove commercial minimum size limits for some fish species. This is just one of many reckless amendments included in the Bill that ... Read more.
March 30, 2026
The Fisheries Amendment Bill heads to its first reading TOMORROW 31 March. The purpose of the Bill is set out on page one, “to grow the value of seafood sector exports while continuing to ensure sustainability.” It’s clear the Bill prioritises seafood exports. That means everything else becomes an afterthought – the fish, the environment ... Read more.
