LegaSea

Photo by Faasisila Savila

Kia ora Friend,

It's officially summer, but someone needs to tell the weather gods as the unsettled, windy, spring-like weather continues. Pretty frustrating when you are trying to get out fishing!

The end of the year is upon us and we're trying to wrap things up, but issues like the Hauraki Gulf, Northland crayfish and Kaikōura pāua (read below) will be cutting our holidays short. Next year is going to be huge!

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park needs your help!

Part of the government's 'Revitalising the Gulf' strategy for restoring the health of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan. Developed by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the plan is supposed to implement the rules for recreational and commercial fishing in the Park that will help the Gulf to recover.

Initially set to be realeased in April this year, the final plan has still not gone out for public consultation. Public consultation will give the public a say on the plan and is an extremely important part of the process.

LegaSea and the Hauraki Gulf Alliance will be campaigning hard to harness public opposition to destructive fishing methods. Then we will present the petition to the minister calling for bottom trawling, scallop dredging and Danish Seining to be banned from the Marine Park.

SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

Bottom trawling is an extremely destructive fishing method that destroys seafloor habitats and takes any sea life in its path. In the draft version of the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan officials admit bottom trawling is destructive, yet it can continue in designated 'trawl corridors'. We anticipate they will not be narrow, corridor-like passages and more like massive blobs throughout the Gulf.

Bottom trawling makes a mockery of the Government's plan to 'revitalise the Gulf'. Trawling needs to stop. The government will only ban trawling if there is massive public opposition to the plan.

It's SO important that you get behind this campaign to stop trawling in the Marine Park. You can start by signing the petition. and sharing it with your friends and family.

SIGN THE PETITION

Kaikōura pāua fishery reopening

LegaSea has spent the past few weeks working with our fisheries team at the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, the NZ Angling & Casting Association, NZ Underwater and the local fishing club to develop a submission about Kaikōura pāua.

Fisheries New Zealand has proposed to reopen the Kaikōura coastline to fishing for pāua, shellfish and seaweeds. The open season will be either 2 or 3 months long.

Our joint submission includes 9 recommendations with a 3-month open season from May to July next year, and a vehicle/vessel limit of 2 daily bag limits to help manage total harvest. We also submitted that the Minister must review the Total Allowable Catch to ensure all catch is being managed according to the law. Read our submission here.

The Kaikōura Boating & Fishing Club had a lot to say about how pāua ought to be managed in the future too. Read their straightforward submission here.

Bayleys joins the family

On the 28th October, Bayleys Real Estate hosted the Bayleys Fishing Classic. The event historically targeted larger game fish with the competition being weight based only. In 2008, they decided to cancel the annual event out of respect to the ocean.

The competition was reinvigorated this year, transitioning to a more sustainable method of competing - measure only.

The event was a resounding success with great fishing, amazing entertainment and a good chunk of change raised for LegaSea and to support our mission to restore abundance for the benefit of future generations.

Thank you to Bayleys for hosting the event and for all generous companies who contributed. A special thanks to Matt Watson for putting himself up as an auction item and securing the win for a bunch of Aussies (we won't hold that against him).

We're proud to welcome Bayleys to the LegaSea family as a Platinum Partner and we look forward to the annual fundraising event!

Here is a short video of the event.

High Court Decision on Crayfish

We're celebrating the High Court's recent decision regarding the Minister's March 2022 decision for managing crayfish in Northland and around the Three Kings Islands.

Minister David Parker has been directed to revisit his last decision because it was based on data supplied by Fisheries New Zealand, which wasn't the 'best available' information as required by law.

This decision is bigger than Texas. It could change the way all our fish are managed in the future. Managers will have to be more cautious and consider a raft of matters, including the environmental effects of fishing. On the northeast coast, this means taking into account the prevalence of kina barrens in places where crayfish and other large predators are scarce.

Unless commercial interests, quota owners challenge the decision.

We expect a management review over the holiday break, with a new decision by March 2023. More details here.

This article is a good summary of the whole process. Read here

Kōparepare triple donation promo for Xmas

Our generous partner Whitehaven are offering a super good deal for Christmas.

For every bottle of Kōparepare purchased, they donate to LegaSea. For wine purchased online until the 9th of December, they will triple their donation.

Use the code KPXMAS at checkout to TRIPLE the donation.

With your help, they have donated over $110,000 to date!

It's a great time to stock up for the holidays, so get your order in now.

SHOP NOW!

New Zealand Master Filleter Competition

The Kai Ika Project has partnered with Victory Knives to put together the first ever NZ Master Filleter Comp.

This competition is designed to help recreational fishers share their knowledge, tips and tricks around processing fish and utilising their catch while having a bit of fun.

Show us how you fillet your fish - there's no right or wrong way, it's about best utilisation of your catch.

It doesn't matter if you're an absolute beginner or a seasoned salty sea dog. Upload a video of you filleting a fish, giving us an insight into your workbench, knife selection and technique.

Each video enters you in the draw to win fortnightly prizes as well as a GRAND PRIZE at the end.

Click here for an overview of the competition and click here to see how to enter and the terms and conditions.

Important fisheries habitats

Earlier in the week the U.S. Court ordered an immediate ban on exports of nine species of fish harvested off the NZ North Island's west coast using methods that threaten the last remaining critically endangered Māui dolphins.

Sea Shepherd have been fighting this in Court for months, filing legal proceedings against the United States Department of Commerce under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The basis was that set-net and trawl fisheries overlapping with Māui dolphin habitats results in injury and death to dolphins, so, New Zealand marine mammal protection here does not meet United States standards of protection.

Now, a preliminary import ban is in place for 9 species (including snapper) until the United States determines that New Zealand's management of these fisheries is comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. regulatory programme, or until the court case is fully resolved.