Kia ora Friend,

It's been a difficult time for many of us with the recent weather events and our hearts go out to everyone who is suffering from the aftermath.

The good news is that our work across several fisheries carries on regardless and the deadlines for public consultation on critical issues, such as the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and the April sustainability reviews, are looming.

Right now with so many still recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle we ask those of you who can get involved, to please stand up for those who are too busy. With a proposal to continue bottom trawling and scallop dredging in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, we need a unified public voice if we are to make an impact. The last day for submissions is this Friday.

Please, act now to to ban bottom trawling from the Gulf

You have until this Friday, 3 March, to have your say on the draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan.

The draft Plan developed by Fisheries New Zealand pretends to fix many of the problems facing the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. In reality, it merely defends the status quo. 

This is our best chance to change the way we treat the Gulf. To stop the use of destructive fishing methods. To stop wastage of edible fish. Yet once again Fisheries New Zealand have stopped short of doing anything effective. We must be bold if we want the marine environment to recover. 

Under the current draft Plan purse seiners will be allowed to continue hoovering up large quantities of bait fish, starving the seabirds, sea mammals and fish of an essential food source. 

No separate fisheries management area has been created for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This means there is no way to control the amount of fish taken from the Gulf. This was dismissed as 'too difficult' by ministry officials.

And destructive, ecosystem killing fishing methods, such as bottom trawling and scallop dredging, will be allowed to continue. It truly beggars belief.

You can change this. We need you to make a submission on the proposed Plan. Tell the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries that the proposed Plan is not acceptable. We need to ban bottom trawling and scallop dredging from the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park now and forever.

Please, click on the link to make a submission.

It will take you less than 30 seconds. If enough people submit the Minister will have to listen and act to remove these methods from the Gulf.

Tony Orton: My letter of resignation

In April 2022, experienced fisher and charter operator Tony Orton from Offshore Adventures was nominated to join the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan Advisory Group. The advisory group's remit was to provide stakeholder and public input in the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan, which is currently out for consultation.

In February 2023 he resigned from the group in disgust. Below are extracts from his letter of resignation and a link to the letter in full.

"...since the first meeting in 2022 my excitement has turned to sleepless nights and a sense of helplessness at the way a predetermined outcome is being forced on us by officials. "

"There has been very little regard for the effects on the livelihoods and the wellbeing of thousands of people who enjoy time in our Marine Park as well as the long-term effects from the current plan that is proposed or already predetermined."

"... this underwhelming future plan for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park will set an example and will be a flow on effect for the rest of the country and the average New Zealander will be shafted."

From Tony Orton's letter of resignation to the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan Advisory Group. February 2023.

You can read his full letter of resignation here.

Organisations come together to fight for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park

LegaSea, NZ Underwater and the OBC have come together with environmental groups under the Hauraki Gulf Alliance to ban the bottom trawling from Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. With the help of Mandy Kupenga, they have produced a video to show a united front against destructive fishing methods in the Gulf.

Watch the video, with a great sound track, here.

Kina dredging in the Marlborough Sounds

Did you know kina, a shellfish known around the south as 'spiky gold', is still being dredged commercially in the Tory Channel? We had no idea until Fisheries New Zealand reviewed the fishery earlier this year.

Read our press release here.

Fisheries New Zealand said their objective for the review was to 'protect benthic or seafloor communities from adverse effects of dredge gear'. In the same idiotic breath, two of the three options they proposed allowed kina dredging to continue. 

"We need the Minister to step up and ban kina dredging from Tory Channel. Like our forests, we need to protect our kelp and precious marine life. The new Minister Stuart Nash has a great opportunity to show southerners he's serious about protecting the environment for the benefit of all South Islanders, " said Mark Connor, New Zealand Sport Fishing Council South Island representative.

LegaSea worked with the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association and NZ Underwater to submit in support of a full ban on kina dredging. All dredging has got to go. 

Minister Stuart Nash is expected to make a decision by April. Meanwhile, you can read our submission here. 

Chesters Fanatical Fishos fundraising

On Saturday the 18th of February LegaSea attended the annual Chesters Fanatical Fisho's competition. It was a resounding success with records broken for the amount of money raised for LegaSea and the Titarangi Coastguard. 

Chesters is one of our oldest and most faithful partners, supporting recreational fishing advocacy for over 30 years, and option4 from 2001, all through the Kahawai Legal Challenge (2004-09) and now as LegaSea. The vital funds raised through the Chesters Fanatical Fishos is donated to the Titirangi Coastguard, and business owner Grant Chester matches that donation with a gift to LegaSea. 

This generosity has allowed us to stand up for ourselves as recreational fishers in the face of incredible greed, and short sighted nonsense from both government and commercial interests.

We are forever grateful to Chesters for holding the line and leading by example. Chesters and Auckland plumbers generosity is unparalleled, they catch the fish, they give them back to the cause and then pay through the nose to buy the fish back. All in the name of raising money for LegaSea and Titirangi Coastguard. 

Thank you Grant Chester, thank you Alan Radcliffe and thank you plumbers of New Zealand!

Photo Competition closed

Thank you to everyone who entered our photo competition, entries are now closed. We are thrilled with everyones photos - it's always nice to see people enjoying our coastal waters, even amongst all the bad weather in parts of the country.

Winners will be announced via social media and through email later this month. 

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Ngā mihi nui,

Benn and the LegaSea crew

LegaSea appreciates the ongoing support of our Platinum and Gold partners -

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