Kia ora Friend,
We are officially in the election countdown now and it's interesting to see how COVID-19 is affecting the political parties' policies. Sadly, fisheries issues have largely been ignored as the big parties fight it out over the best way to recover from the economic and social impact of the pandemic.
Given the interesting political landscape we will be analysing the fisheries policies of each party over the next week to see how they stack up when compared to Rescue Fish.
We'll share that analysis with you in an election special newsletter coming out prior to the election. Stay tuned.
Rescue Fish - Are you up for it?
Rescue Fish is one of the biggest investments we have made into rebuilding fish abundance. Rescue Fish is not just tackling a single issue with a call for change, it's an alternative system that will completely change the way fisheries are managed in New Zealand. We have spent years and a million dollars developing it and we are confident it is the best way to return abundance and health to our coastal waters. But we need your help to make it happen.
So please, if you haven't signed the petition, please do so now.
If you haven't signed the petition we're really keen to understand what is stopping you from taking action. Please help us better understand your position by taking a minute to complete this very quick survey:
Tell us why you haven't signed.
For all those that have, thank you!
Kai Ika gearing up for summer
After a busy winter distributing fish heads and frames from Moana and Sanfords, The Kai Ika Project is looking to up the ante over the summer. We will be resuming our filleting services at the Outboard Boating Club from Labour Weekend.
And, the good news is that a new filleting trailer is currently being built for use at Westhaven's Z Pier thanks to the Auckland Council Waste Minimisation Fund, Westhaven, AlRound Sheetmetals, Special Group, Hybrid Electrical, APL Window Solutions and others.
Fish filleting and knife sharpening services will be available from Labour weekend onwards. You can make the most of these services for a modest price.
All unwanted fish parts will be distributed to people who appreciate this rich protein. Volunteers from Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae from South Auckland and our Kai Ika team will be ready and waiting for your contributions.
Recreational Fishers say 'NO' to scallop dredging
At the recent AGM of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council delegates from around the country agreed to promote low impact scallop harvesting methods such as diving, in preference to dredging. However, the delegates acknowledged that diving is not always the safe option in areas of high current flow or poor visibility. In those areas dredging may be the safest option.
This follows on from LegaSea partners Burnsco, Marine Deals and Decoro withdrawing from sale recreational scallop dredges.
Read more
This year the LegaSea AGM was held in conjunction with the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council AGM, at the Bay of Islands Sport Fishing Club. It was a pleasure being able to present our annual accounts and another unqualified opinion from our independent auditors to the Directors, LegaSea Governance Standing Committee and NZSFC delegates.
Thanks to everyone who works hard to provide the stable platform from which LegaSea is able to operate. Here's to another big year.
And thanks to our generous band of LegaSea Legends we were able to report a combined contribution of $130,000 towards the ongoing advocacy, research, education and alignment efforts by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. Your dedication is legendary.
And a special shout out to LegaSea Communications Lead, Trish Rea, who was acknowledged for her 18 years of unflinching commitment to Option4, LegaSea and more fisheries with an Honorary Life Membership to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council.
All LegaSea's previous financials, fisheries management reports and accountability reports can be found on the LegaSea website - click here for more.
NZ Fishing Charters Directory
While many of you may have your own boat enabling you to slip out for a fish or dive when you want to, many keen fishers don't. Of course, even if you do have your own boat, fishing a new area with an expert can teach you a great deal. So therefore, charter boats and knowledgeable skippers are the perfect answer.
With most of us restricted to staying in New Zealand during this COVID time, it provides a great opportunity to support local operators and charter a boat for a new adventure. Be it for fishing, diving or just cruising, here is a brand-new directory listing every charter vessel or operation in New Zealand. Check it out www.nzfishingcharters.co.nz. Such a cool idea.
From Houhora in the north to Stewart island in the south and the Chathams off the coast, all the information for contacting available charters is here in one place.
Charter operators are passionate skippers and fishermen and they know their patches, so for another adventure in our great outdoors support a local charter operator.
Changes in the TACC summary
Catch limits have changed for 12 fish stocks of importance to us, including four kingfish stocks spanning the lower North Island and around the South Island. The science showed some increases were possible, so the recent submission by our New Zealand Sport Fishing Council fisheries team supported modest increases in several catch limits. We are disappointed with Stuart Nash's decisions for two important South Island stocks, Blue cod 5 and Kingfish 3.
Read more
Rescue Fish - Frequently Asked Questions
Fisheries management can be a complex subject. To help you understand the issues we have developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that will hopefully simplify the subject matter. We will be publishing some of them in our campaign updates, but you can see them all on the Rescue Fish website here.
If you have a particular question you would like to ask, you can ask it here.
Q. What are marine protected areas?
A. The answer varies, depending who you ask. Over time people have adopted the Department of Conservation's view of marine protected areas, namely in terms of no-take marine reserves. The legislation that supports marine reserves is old and has a very narrow focus: closing special areas for scientific study. This is a set-and-forget approach, and when applied to our most productive areas it will inevitably displace fishing effort, intensifying depletion and biodiversity loss in the remaining open areas.
LegaSea supports marine protection measures that are effective fisheries management tools because often it is the loss of fish and degradation of the environment that is the underlying concern.
We can protect 100% of our marine environment by applying ecosystem based fisheries management principles. This means taking the whole system into account; considering the nature of the fishery, limiting catches, moderating the methods we use to catch fish, and acknowledging how our behaviour may impact on future productivity.
When we fish we are part of the ecosystem. We are also part of the solution to rebuilding depleted fish stocks and degraded areas. Having 100% effective marine protection means a robust marine ecosystem and a legacy of abundance for future generations to enjoy and derive high value returns.
For more on the campaign, visit the website rescuefish.co.nz
Thank you
Trish and the LegaSea crew
LegaSea appreciates the ongoing support of our Platinum and Gold partners -
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