Kia ora Friend,
We haven't seen your submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill come through yet, and with the deadline next Wednesday, time is running short.
This process is not new. There's been a lot happening and we've asked you and others to make submissions more than once. That's because this issue is really important, not just for us, but for future generations of Kiwi kids.
In the past 12 months we've had some success. Tens of thousands of submissions, pressure on decision-makers, and in some cases, real changes like marlin and reef fish being taken off the table.
That only happens when people engage.
If you've been meaning to do it, now's the time. Take a few minutes and make your submission before the deadline.
Then bring others with you. Forward this email, share it with your mates, your fishing crew, your family, anyone who cares about where our fisheries are heading. The decision makers will only Kill the Bill if enough of us say no. We need you and your whanau onboard.
Submissions create pressure, and multiply it. Right now, we need both.
Submit now! |
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Submissions, submissions, submissions... |
Artwork and photo by Benji Musson
We really appreciate it if you've been one of the thousands that have made submissions when we've asked over the past year. They all help to change the direction or create some uncertainty in the minds of those making the big decisions.
In the past 12 months alone, we've asked you to speak up on: - Shane Jones' Fisheries Reforms
- South Island blue cod catch limits
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Plans to commercialise marlin and 19 reef species
- North Island crayfish
- And now, the Fisheries Amendment Bill
It's a lot. We get that. But here's the thing, it works.
More than 27,000 people submitted against Shane Jones' industry reforms in April last year. Even if they weren't immediately stopped, that level of opposition put serious pressure on the Government and made it clear New Zealanders are paying attention.
And when over 22,000 of you spoke out against the commercialisation of marlin and 19 reef species, alongside public protest, it made a real difference. The marlin proposal has been taken off the table, and the 19 reef species are not for sale.
That only happened because people like you took a few minutes to act. Now we're facing something even bigger. If passed, the Fisheries Amendment Bill will reshape how our fisheries are managed for generations, and not in a good way. This is an issue that we cannot ignore.
If you haven't made a submission to the Select Committee yet, please take a few minutes to do it now.
Because the only thing that will stop this Bill is overwhelming public opposition at the Select Committee stage. Submission deadline is next Wednesday, 29 April. Please. Don't wait another day.
Make your submission now! |
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Radical path to the privatisation of fish |
Radical. It's the only word to describe both the proposed changes to fisheries legislation and the growing public opposition to the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
There is increasing concern that the Bill, introduced to Parliament by NZ First's Shane Jones in March, is another move by the Coalition government to privatise what's left of our fisheries. New Zealand's experience of privatisation is enriching investors. The Bill reflects the wishlist of corporate fishing interests.
Proposed changes to legislation were developed by the Seafood Industry Forum and fisheries officials over 18 months. Public interests were not privy to those discussions, so it's no surprise that the underlying objective is to upgrade commercials' existing harvesting right to a claim for the fish.
Read the rest of the article here. |
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Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon. The Post
There's a growing gap between what's being said by current MPs and what's actually happening in Wellington.
National has promised to listen to recreational fishers - again and again. But when the Prime Minister himself assured us the minimum size limit changes would be removed from the Bill, nothing changed. The Bill has carried on untouched. Now the Select Committee is going to bear the brunt of public pushback because no one is actually listening. Backbench MPs are out there saying "we hear you and we promise we'll listen", yet there hasn't been a single tangible shift to reflect that. No amendments, no recalibration, no sign that those concerns have translated into action. And from the top, it's been radio silence from Luxon while coalition partners continue to drive the agenda within their portfolios. Where is the leadership?
At the same time, the Bill is progressing to the Select Committee despite real questions about whether it's fit for purpose. Those concerns aren't just coming from the public either; they've been raised by MPs from National and ACT themselves, as well as many of their opposition.
So what we're left with is a process that keeps moving regardless; and a Bill that promotes policy that no party had, and that no one voted for, in 2023.
It seems like the only winners are New Zealand First's Shane Jones and his mates selling our fish overseas.
At some point, we need to understand that these people should be working for all of us, not just those who fund their political campaigns and take them out to seafood luncheons.
If this doesn't sit right with you, don't leave it there. Put some weight on the line. Make a submission to Kill the Bill. This is the point in the process where it actually counts.
Submissions can be made here. |
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Quick Facts about the Fisheries Amendment Bill |
🪝 What are LegaSea's main concerns with the Fisheries Amendment Bill?
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 having a say in changes to catch limits for up to five years, passing more decision-making power to commercial operators.
- Prioritise exporting and exploiting our fish. Kiwis will be left with the leftovers and a degraded marine environment.
- Subsidise commercial operators so they can continue current practices, including trawling and dredging, while depleting a public resource.
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Reduce transparency and public oversight, ban public access to onboard camera footage.
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Remove minimum size limits for certain species on commercial boats. Allowing commercial operators to keep and sell baby fish before they've had the chance to reproduce. *(The PM has said this will be removed at the Select Committee stage).
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Prioritise short-term commercial interests ahead of rebuilding fish stocks and protecting the wider marine environment.
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More fish thrown overboard. Relax the rules to allow for more dead, dying fish to be legally dumped overboard. Further entrenching the use of indiscriminate, bulk harvesting fishing methods.
- Restrict the public's ability to legally challenge the Minister's fisheries decisions.
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🪝 How can I help Kill the Fisheries Amendment Bill?
Speak up. Oppose the Bill by making a submission by 29 April 2026. Click here to build your submission using LegaSea's online template. Then go tell your friends and family to submit. Tell them this will be one of the most important things they do before the November election. The Amendment Bill has passed its first reading and is now before the Select Committee. This is our last chance to make our voice heard and stop these changes from becoming law.
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🪝 How do I make a submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill?
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.
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Diesel prices threaten to turn local fish shops into 'just chip shops
If the price of diesel rises another 10 cents per litre, then fishing industry leaders believe New Zealand's industry will sink, taking with it up to 16,000 jobs. Fishing industry leaders are sounding the alarm, and have already sent brutally honest messages to the Government and their staff about the risks to commercial fishing. They also have a message for New Zealanders.
Glenn McConnell, Stuff, April 2026 |
Orange Roughy on Verge of Collapse – Again!
The country's largest orange roughy fishery is again on the verge of collapse. A new stock assessment in 2025 has confirmed that the fishery's stock is close to collapse (8-18% biomass) with one of four models showing it may have already collapsed. It's not the first time. Tony Orman, CORANZ, April 2026 |
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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