Latest updates


The hefty price of protection

September 30, 2019 Fishing on the west coast is not for the faint-hearted and future prospects are about to change for many people. There are some disturbing aspects to the recent joint proposal by Sanford, Moana fisheries and WWF-New Zealand to protect Maui dolphin on the west coast of the North Island. We all agree on the need […]

Fish n chip favourite in danger

September 27, 2019 A ten per cent cut to commercial catch limits of tarakihi will not be enough to save the species from its depleted state, says LegaSea. On September 27th the Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash announced his management plan to restore the East Coast tarakihi fishery by applying a ten per cent cut to commercial catch limits […]

Twisted versions of sustainability

September 13, 2019 Decisive action needs to be taken to protect our fish stocks from collapse. That means putting the handbrake on catch increases until we know more about how many fish are in the water. No such restraint is evidenced in the latest management proposals from Fisheries New Zealand for several South Island stocks including gurnard, rig […]

Summary of recent submissions

August 28, 2019 LegaSea recently worked with the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council’s fisheries management team and the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association to develop and submit eight responses to proposals from Fisheries New Zealand. These submission are briefly summarised below. Tarakihi East coast North and South Islands. Minister’s decision – decrease the Total Allowable Commercial Catch […]

Tarakihi – a fish and chip favourite

August 22, 2019 Tarakihi are a popular table fish for good reason. They have nice flaky, white flesh which makes them suitable for a variety of dishes when eaten fresh. Sadly, good catches are becoming few and far between and that can be put down to the poor state of east coast tarakihi stocks. This is a concern […]

Committed guardians of Marlborough

August 12, 2019 The mere mention of fishing in the Marlborough Sounds incites a range of responses, from happy memories to deep concern for the environment. These reactions are a reflection of how passionate people are about the Sounds. That passion was evident at the recent Annual General Meeting of the Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association held in Blenheim. […]

No more small dead fish

August 6, 2019 Dining at a food court in the city guarantees a range of flavours and types of food to suit your appetite. On the dark side, at some of these eateries there are small fish legally available for sale. Often these fish are surrounded by a tasty sauce and gleefully consumed by hungry customers with little […]

Changes to charter boat rules

July 24, 2019 Fisheries New Zealand has released management proposals that will affect 13 inshore finfish and shellfish stocks, and seven deepwater stocks. If changes are approved, they will apply from October this year. FNZ information is available online. Changes to the reporting regime for charter boat operators are also proposed. Since 2010 charter vessels have been required […]

Tarakihi review – take time out

July 19, 2019 Tarakihi management is under review and we need you to get stuck in and support the Minister to make a precautionary decision aimed at rebuilding depleted stocks on the east coast between Otago and Northland. Last year over 9000 of us signed LegaSea’s Time Out for Tarakihi petition calling for the Minister to cut commercial […]

The madness of trying to manage fisheries with property rights

July 18, 2019 The Quota Management System has short-changed fish, mana whenua and the public since it was established in 1986. The system was set up with the quota owners having to pay resource rentals. This only lasted a few years. For the past 30 years the commercial fishing industry has not paid for the use of these […]