Kia ora Friend,

It's time to step up and introduce our campaign, a direct response opposing Shane Jones' proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act. The Minister has made it clear that he's out to privatise our fisheries and we're saying the proposals aren't reforms, they're a scam. 

The Fisheries Reform Scam is a proposal that sounds innocent enough on the surface but will end up locking out the public and small-scale fishers while giving big commercial fishing operators and seafood giants control of our fish. The goal of fisheries management is more than just short-term profits and corporate gains. As New Zealanders, we want healthy fish stocks, well paying jobs in coastal communities, and a fair say for all Kiwis who care for the marine environment. That's where you come in - your voice matters.

Use our easy-to-use online submission form to make a personal submission in just a couple of minutes. Speak out and take a stand against this scam now!

The submission deadline has been extended an extra two weeks and is now 5pm Friday 11 April 2025. 

The Great Fisheries 'Reform' Scam

Shane Jones' announced changes to the Fisheries Act will weaken hard-earned environmental protections, dilute our say in fisheries management, and undermine the health of our coastal waters. 

Here's why it's such a scam:

👉 More decision-making power for commercial operators – The government wants to allow quota owners to voluntarily stockpile catch entitlements instead of reducing catch limits when fish stocks are struggling. That means more fish taken out of the water in the long run, regardless of the state of the fishery.

👉 Weakening environmental protection - The new proposals seek to delay catch reductions in a depleted fishery due to the impacts the cuts might have on commercial fishers. This incentivises overfishing of a depleted fish stock. The health of a fish stock should come first and foremost.

👉 Less monitoring – Remember those onboard cameras that finally started catching commercial fishers throwing fish overboard? The ones that proved reported discards of undersized snapper shot up over 1000% once cameras were live? Yeah, Jones wants to let commercial operators switch them off at times.  And if that wasn't bad enough, he's also restricting public access to footage, so we won't even be able to see what's really going on.

👉 More wastage – Under the new proposals, commercial operators would be allowed to toss even more fish overboard. That means more dumping, more high-grading (where only the best fish are kept, and the rest are discarded), and more damage to our fisheries. Since cameras were introduced on some vessels, reported kingfish discards increased by 950%. Snapper? Over 1000%. This is proof that we need stronger rules, not weaker ones.

👉 Locking the public out – Under these changes, Minister Jones wants to set catch limits for up to five years at a time—with only one chance for public consultation. This is a dream scenario for commercial quota holders but a nightmare for sustainability. The government wants to lock in catch limits based on self-reported data from the fishing industry.

Who thought these 'Reform' Scams were a good idea? Shane Jones outlined exactly who was involved in his press announcement. 

"What drives it? It's informed by a working party that was created and joint stewardship of it. It was between our CEO, Mr. Smith, and key figures from the industry, including Craig Lawson and other members from Sanford, Talley's, Moana, Sealord, and some of the smaller elements of our seafood sector, including the crayfish industry."

It's clear who wasn't involved - us, the public. The real owners of these natural resources. 

This Fisheries Act "reform" is dressed up neatly in the political smoke and mirrors of "economic efficiency", "streamlining rules", and "removing wokeness", but it's rotten, the first step towards privatising our publicly owned fisheries and selling New Zealand's naturally owned resources for private profit. 

Jones even went so far as to preempt the outrage these biased proposals will have when he said:

"It's fair to say as well, though, that National would be very conscious that somehow I don't unwittingly fracture the social license around fishing. I think I'm enhancing it, but I accept that my view is only one in a myriad of voices."

If only we had a Prime Minister who had the courage to pull his wayward coalition partners into line and do the right thing. 

Don't let them privatise our fish - and don't let them get away with pretending this is "just business as usual".

How can you help? Make your voice heard by writing a personal submission at legasea.co.nz/scam and let them know you don't want to be scammed.  

Knock on your local MP's door, and share the hell out of it on social media. Make it clear to the coalition government that in New Zealand, we don't take kindly to dirty deals done dirt cheap or political cronyism at the expense of our environment and our people.

Read more on this issue:

Privatisation proposals shrouded in weasel speak - LegaSea Article, March 2025

Nothing to see here, Jones threatens transparency - LegaSea Newsletter, 5 March 2

Proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act - Consultation document, MPI, February 2025

How to Help:

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