April 27, 2024
It’s been two years since the last remaining scallop beds in the Hauraki Gulf were placed under emergency closure. While it may feel like a lifetime since we’ve had fresh, local scallops on our dinner plates, it still may not be enough time for our scallops to regenerate. So anyone anticipating a meal of plump […]
April 17, 2024
Cameras onboard commercial fishing vessels have exposed the environmental cost of destructive, indiscriminate fishing techniques. Since the installation of cameras on 127 vessels, the volume of reported fish discarded has increased by 46 percent and interactions with protected species, including seabirds and dolphins, is more than double what was previously reported.
April 9, 2024
Originally published in the New Zealand Fishing News, April 2024. New Zealand, a country just north of the furious 50s, a series of small islands perched precariously on a volcanic fault line and more than 1000 nautical miles from its nearest neighbours. We pride ourselves on our wild coastlines and incredible marine life. This is […]
April 4, 2024
Whether you’re an avid fisherman, diver, or just enjoy the glorious landscape of the Hauraki Gulf, the proposed Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill will determine where and what you can access in our Marine Park. The Environment Select Committee recently concluded public hearings on the Protection Bill and the range of views expressed over two […]
April 1, 2024
The pristine waters of the Coromandel could become the last resort for bottom trawling and seining if the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill gets through Parliament. The Environment Select Committee is currently reviewing the Protection Bill, after holding hearings in Auckland in early March. Successive submitters urged the Committee to consider the wider impacts of […]
March 27, 2024
Last Friday the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, made his first round of decisions for a range of fish stocks across New Zealand. While we hoped for a positive outcome, we have instead been left with a sour taste for what is to come. What is clear from the decisions is the Minister’s […]
March 20, 2024
A part of being a good Kiwi is sticking up for our neighbours when something’s not right. Now is the time tosupport our whānau living around the North Island’s east coast, as their crayfish is under threat. We need to work together as crayfish are a national taonga, a treasure. Local communities, Māori, and commercial […]
March 14, 2024
Collecting kai moana is a Kiwi summer tradition, wading in knee-deep water, collecting buckets of pipi, cockles, or whatever else your auntie fancies. It’s an ancient practice, and a way of life for some. Running out of hands to collect used to be the norm. Instead, we are faced with emergency closures and rāhui, temporary […]
March 13, 2024
It’s been 24 years since the establishment of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and 9 years since the Sea Change programme was initiated to restore the Park. In that time tens of thousands of hours from volunteers, contractors and employees of a myriad of organisations have been invested into developing a pathway to restored abundance […]
March 10, 2024
Marine ecosystems are delicate. When something is out of balance it impacts a variety of species. It can be likened to a domino effect. It’s about who eats who. Baitfish including Blue and Jack mackerels are a perfect example. It’s incredible that such a small fish can influence the way an ecosystem functions. Yet it’s […]
