FAQs
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Customary Fisheries | Fisheries Management | maximum sustainable yield | QMS | Economics | Fishing | Rescue Fish | Environment | Fishing methods | Recreational Fishing | Fishcare | customary | Kahawai | Reform scam | Baitfish | Scallops | Crayfish | WRC decision | Marlin | Reef fish | Deemed value penalties | Judicial Review | Kill the Bill | Tarakihi
April 14, 2026
Speed is not the problem. Cutting public rights and limiting scrutiny is. Fisheries decisions affect shared, finite resources and require careful, evidence-based consideration. Faster is not better if it increases the risk of depletion.
April 14, 2026
The Fisheries Amendment Bill is fundamentally flawed and does not deliver a better future for our fisheries. Our marine environment. Or us. Specifically the Bill will: Remove environmental safeguards, allowing the Minister to set catch limits without considering the wider consequences of fishing on the marine environment and other species. Shut the public out of ... Read more.
April 9, 2026
PUBLIC CONSULTATION HAS CLOSED. LegaSea has created an online template to help guide your submission. Once you’ve built your submission, copy and paste the content into the form on the Parliamentary webpage. The original deadline for submissions was 29 April 2026, that deadline has now been extended to 6 May 2026.
April 9, 2026
No. The amendment to remove commercial minimum size limits for nine finfish species including snapper, tarakihi, and trevally still remains in the Fisheries Amendment Bill. The Prime Minister publicly stated on March 25th 2026, that National would consider removing this amendment at the Select Committee stage.
April 9, 2026
Strong public pressure is the only thing that will stop the Fisheries Amendment Bill. Email your local MP and urge them to reject the Bill. Click here to find your local MP’s details. Then go tell your friends and family to write to their MP. Tell them this will be one of the most important ... Read more.
March 4, 2026
It’s a scheme developed by the commercial fishing industry and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to shift more power into the hands of commercial quota owners and weaken safeguards designed to protect our fish. In February 2025 the Minister and industry representatives proposed a package of changes to the Fisheries Act. The ‘reform’ package ... Read more.
March 4, 2026
No. LegaSea supports responsible, small-scale commercial fishing that operates within environmental limits. Sustainable fisheries benefit everyone, including commercial operators.
March 4, 2026
No, it merely reduces costs for quota owners while the public bears the cost of environmental degradation. The majority of our seafood in New Zealand is exported overseas on average for less than $6 a kilo (excluding shellfish & crayfish). There are few, if any, fish available to Kiwis at this price. (Source – Seafood ... Read more.
March 4, 2026
Because the fisheries resource belongs to all New Zealanders. Judicial review is a fundamental part of the decision-making process, available to all New Zealanders. It allows for expert, independent oversight by judges who can review decisions and how they compare to the law. It’s a basic accountability mechanism that ensures decisions follow the law and ... Read more.
March 4, 2026
Court scrutiny has historically played a critical role in holding Fisheries Ministers accountable to the purpose of the Fisheries Act. The Minister must ensure sustainability and protect the wider marine environment when making fisheries decisions. Recent High Court decisions involving crayfish, tarakihi, and the protection of hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins) have all reinforced the Act’s purpose. ... Read more.
