Kia ora Friend, Only a few days to go until the General Election. With no clear result predicted, Kiwis will be on the edge of their seats on Saturday evening to see how it plays out.
Below, you can read why this election is so important for the future of our fish.
Also in this newsletter, we outline the new rules for taking seafood from the intertidal zones around Auckland and Coromandel, as well as the new daily bag limits for tarakihi and butterfish.
It is also the last chance to enter THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE PACKAGE in the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters lottery with a prize in excess of $400,000!
Lastly, a brand new breakfast cookbook from one of LegaSea's favourite chefs, Tom Hishon, is on sale in the LegaSea online store. With profits going to LegaSea, you can learn how to cook a chef's breakfast while fighting for our fish at the same time. |
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It's been an interesting couple of weeks analysing which parties are committed to delivering more fish in the water. The 2026 election is shaping up to be close. That makes cross-party support for restoring the abundance of fish more important than ever, because the broader that support, the better chance that whoever forms the next government will work towards this collective goal. Four out of seven parties have said outright that they support managing our fish stocks at higher levels. This includes ACT, Greens, Te Pāti Māori, and Opportunity parties. Without more abundance and diversity of fish in our coastal waters, we'll keep facing more closures and reduced access to gathering kaimoana.
Rebuilding our inshore fish stocks to at least half the estimated biomass that existed before industrial fishing began means the good stuff follows: better fishing, healthier ecosystems and a more resilient ocean.
Why policy matters
Six out of eight political contenders now have a dedicated oceans and fisheries policy. The two outliers are Te Pāti Māori and NZ First. LegaSea views that as real progress. At the 2023 election, none of the current coalition parties had an oceans and fisheries policy. This time round, both National and ACT do. Having policy matters. It shows a party has thought about our oceans and is willing to be held to account. But words on paper only go so far. What counts is whether parties hold the line on those commitments once they go into coalition talks. So before you head to the voting booths this week, check out our updated election scorecard and make an informed choice that reflects your values. I Fish. I Care. I Vote. |
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Last chance to get your ticket for the Ultimate Adventure Package |
Last chance to win THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE PACKAGE in the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters lottery. Up for grabs: an Extreme 746 Game King powered by a Yamaha F250, a 2026 Ford Ranger Wolftrak 4x4 3.0-litre diesel and plenty more, together worth over $400,000.
Sales close tomorrow, Wednesday 4 November, at 11:59pm, and tickets are limited to just 15,000.
Every ticket helps keep the rescue helicopter in the air. For over 56 years it has been an essential service for boaties, fishers and all Kiwis, flying an average of six rescue missions a day. When other emergency services can't reach you, it's the last responder.
Get your tickets before sales close. |
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New finfish regulations for recreational fishers |
Recreational fishers are being asked to take less. From 1 November, tarakihi limits have halved across most of the country. Marlborough and west coast South Island butterfish now have a daily bag limit of 5. We backed some of these changes, but not all of them go as far as we argued was needed to restore abundance.
Tarakihi: 10 per person per day
A new recreational daily bag limit of 10 tarakihi applies across New Zealand except the Fiordland, Southland and Chatham Islands areas. It replaces the previous daily limit of 20, and 15 on the South Island's east coast.
East coast tarakihi is estimated to be at around 7.7% of its unfished spawning biomass. It has been below the 10% hard limit, the point where closing the fishery should be considered, since the late 2010s. West coast tarakihi is declining and was projected to fall below the 20% soft limit by 2030 if nothing changed.
In our submission, we supported a reduction to the recreational daily bag limit to 5 tarakihi, on the condition the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries chose the strongest rebuild option proposed. That option would have reduced commercial catch limits to bycatch levels, a 78% cut on the east coast. The Minister instead reduced them by about 20% on the east coast and 55% on the west.
Butterfish (BUT 7): 5 per person per day
Butterfish in the top and west coast of the South Island now have their own daily limit of 5, replacing the combined finfish limit of 20.
We supported a daily bag limit of 7. Butterfish in this area are often taken by set net and a lower limit risks fish being caught over the limit and discarded.
The status of this butterfish fishery is unknown. What we do know is that butterfish depend on kelp for food and habitat, and kelp forests in the Marlborough Sounds have been retreating. Warming water, marine heatwaves, sediment and kina overgrazing are all contributing to the decline. |
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New shellfish and invertebrate bag limits for Auckland and Coromandel |
Photo by Katie Goodwin
If you're based in Auckland or Coromandel, you may have noticed new signs at the beach over the weekend, or fishery officers out on the shore. From 1 November, the intertidal zone along the mainland coastline and Waiheke Island is closed to gathering most shellfish and other invertebrates. The boundary for the closure runs from the mean high-water mark out to where the water is 2 metres deep.
Closed in the intertidal zone Cat's eyes, periwinkles, limpets, whelks, starfish and anemones All mussels: green-lipped, blue and horse What you can take within daily limits - Cockles, pipi and tuatua: 50
- Kina: 150 on the east coast, 50 on the west
- Pāua: 10
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Crabs: 10, all species combined, including hermit crabs
- Octopus: 1
- Sea cucumbers: 5
- Shrimps and prawns: 50
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Squid: 10
Rock lobster, oyster and scallop limits are unchanged. Existing closures still apply including the east coast scallop fishery. Outside the intertidal zone The "any other shellfish" limit drops from 50 to 10. Green-lipped mussels are capped at 10 within the combined mussel limit of 50. Our submission
We supported a partial closure, but argued the rules need to reflect real differences across the area. The west coast has limited foot access and different harvest pressure from the inner Hauraki Gulf, and conditions on the eastern Coromandel differ again. We also supported a defined review period. The Minister has not o set a review date. We support ongoing discussions between Fisheries NZ and those affected over the coming years, so the rules can be adjusted as monitoring results come in. Harvesting isn't the only pressure. Restoring abundance to the intertidal zone will also need action on sedimentation, stormwater and water quality.
Before you go Check the NZ Fishing Rules App as site-specific closures still apply. |
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Good Morning - A new cookbook from Tom Hishon |
New in the LegaSea store this week: Good Morning, a brand new cookbook from former Kingi and Orphans Kitchen chef Tom Hishon.
It's for anyone who's ever waited for a breakfast table, queued for their favourite sourdough and pastries, or woken up already knowing what they'll order off the brunch menu. It's a book to be used, not just looked at, with approachable recipes for an ordinary Tuesday and for the mornings that deserve a bit more ceremony. Pre-order now from the LegaSea online shop and receive a LegaSea Pennant with your cookbook. Deliveries go out from mid-November, and all profits go towards LegaSea's mission of restoring our coastal fisheries.
"This is a book you'll definitely cook from. Tom's focus on healthy seasonal ingredients, cooked simply - sometimes lush - will have you reaching for the eggs, bread, smoked fish and greens and knocking up a delicious spread for those you love. Mornings will never be the same again!" - Peter Gordon Shop now! |
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Shellfish-stripping tensions explode into scuffle
A new regulation has been signed into law, allowing fisheries officers to impose $250 penalties on those breaching ban on collecting shellfish in Auckland and Coromandel Jonathan Milne, newsroom, November 2026 |
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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