Latest updates


Boat show success

June 6, 2018 The recent Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat show in Auckland was our most successful yet and LegaSea is grateful to the organisers and Dave Gibbs in particular for his, and their ongoing generosity. LegaSea simply couldn’t afford to be at the show in such a fulsome manner without their support. If you were one of the […]

No crayfish closure

May 26, 2018 Stuart Nash, Minister of Fisheries, has decided not to close the crayfish fishery between the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty, known as the CRA 2 region. Instead, annual catch limits for commercial and recreational fishers were reduced as of April 1st. The new Total Allowable Commercial Catch has been reduced from 200 to 80 […]

What more proof is needed before government acts?

May 24, 2018 We’ve seen the Heron Report on failures in our fishing industry, the Achilles and Hippocamp reports paint a devastating picture of the Ministry of Primary Industries working hand in glove with industry to avoid accountability, more recently we’ve seen the decimation of our crayfish stocks and now we’re told MPI and industry have been fudging […]

2018 Hutchwilco Boat Show

May 20, 2018 Since the establishment of LegaSea the organisers of the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show have gifted LegaSea stand space at the event. The show is run by Premiere Exhibitions Limited under the management of Dave Gibbs. Year on year the LegaSea stand space has grown with better and better locations provided each year. The outcome […]

LegaSea celebrates CERT systems support

May 6, 2018 We welcome Brad Dannefaerd, Managing Director of CERT Systems to LegaSea and appreciate his contribution to LegaSea as a recent Building Sponsor. A number of CERT Systems staff have a strong interest in fisheries related issues having come from a former Fishery / Fisheries Officers from both NZ and Australia. CERT (Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory […]

EDS’s Voices from the Sea is a wake-up call for industry

May 1, 2018 The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has written a compelling tale of the destruction being wrought on our seas and fisheries and this must be a call to arms for the government. Voices from the Sea: Managing New Zealand’s Fisheries documents the devastation caused by commercial fishing to our marine bird life and mammals. The recreational […]

International recognition for our recreational harvest survey methods

April 28, 2018 The old chestnut of ‘we don’t know what recreational fishers catch’ can finally be put to bed. New Zealand’s methods of estimating recreational marine harvest are internationally recognised as being robust and reliable. A scientific paper has been published in the international peer-reviewed journal, Fisheries Research, highlighting the high-quality work being undertaken in Aotearoa. The report, […]

Bluenose make your eyes and mouth water

April 26, 2018 Stories of tussling with bluenose as big as our grandfather’s dreams were common in days past. And bluenose recipes to delight the taste buds of everyone around the table were passed down through the generations.  As stocks decline bluenose have retreated to small pockets of abundance, limiting our chances of getting a feed and consigning […]

Mixed bag of management changes for crayfish

April 23, 2018 In March the Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash announced a raft of management changes for four crayfish stocks between the Hauraki Gulf and Southland. From April 1st there were commercial catch reductions in two stocks and increases for the Wellington-Hawke’s Bay region and the Southern – Fiordland fish stock. The joint submission from recreational fishers […]

Crayfish – The real test is looming

April 4, 2018 If you were one of the thousands of people who completed the LegaSea Crayfish Crisis survey in the past few months, thanks a lot. LegaSea appreciates your time and the information you shared to help us build a picture of what has changed in the cray fishery between Pakiri in the north and East Cape. […]