Latest updates


We can rescue our fisheries from depletion

September 20, 2018 We did it. In just 18 working days our fisheries team developed responses to nine fisheries management proposals, including a comprehensive and pragmatic solution to rebuild the east coast tarakihi stock. The latest science shows that decades of trawling from Northland to Otago has reduced the stock to 17% of its original size, below acceptable […]

Support for decisive tarakihi decision

September 18, 2018 This article was written prior to release of the Minister’s tarakihi decision. Thanks to a collective effort, LegaSea has gathered over 8000 signatures supporting the Minister to make a bold decision to rebuild tarakihi to abundant levels. Together we have called on the Minister to act decisively. Stuart Nash needs to cut commercial catches of […]

Tarakihi campaign success

September 15, 2018 This article was written prior to the release of the Minister’s tarakihi decision on 19th September 2018. LegaSea’s Time Out for Tarakihi campaign has closed with over 8000 people signing the petition urging the Minister to heed the best available science and cut commercial catches by 65%, so east coast stocks can rebuild to healthy […]

Calling time on the QMS

September 2, 2018 Crayfish on the northeast coast is just one of a litany of fish stocks well below what ordinary Kiwis would consider abundant and available. This dissatisfaction was evidenced during LegaSea’s recent Crayfish Crisis campaign when so many divers, fishers, and the New Zealand Underwater Association stood up and had their say. LegaSea was grateful for […]

Doing a u-turn on public service

August 27, 2018 In less time than it took to implement the Quota Management System and see its virtual demise, the public service has morphed into an array of government agencies operating on skin-tight budgets and answering primarily to corporate leaders. Fisheries is not immune. A rebranded Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) is now just one layer of many […]

Conservation cannot be used as a weapon

August 25, 2018 This article was written prior to the release of the Minister’s tarakihi decision on 19th September 2018. LegaSea is celebrating the ongoing willingness of recreational fishers to conserve fish. On the flip side when we do volunteer conservation we need to make sure our collective efforts are effective and not used as a weapon against […]

Conviction of repeat offenders justifies MPI spending

August 14, 2018 LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council welcome the prosecution of Hawke’s Bay Seafood after the longest running district court case on record. The prosecution was brought against Antonino, Giancarlo and Marcus D’Espositofor falsifying catch records and exporting more fish to Australia than the company had reportedly caught. The Ministry for Primary Industries need […]

The Future Catch report

August 7, 2018 A draft report, ‘The Future Catch – Preserving recreational fisheries for the next generation’ was released on August 1st, 2017. The report is authored by Randall Bess, supported by The New Zealand Initiative, and funded by the US-based Aotearoa Foundation (Julian Robertson) and the late Sir Douglas Myers. This report follows a visit to Western […]

Time Out for Tarakihi

July 30, 2018 Tarakihi is a mealtime favourite for people who fish and those who buy it retail because it is notoriously good for cooking when fresh. Things are about to change between Otago and Northland. The main stocks on New Zealand’s east coast are severely depleted so substantial cuts to commercial catches are required to rebuild the […]