Kia ora Friend,
This year opening of the scallop season yesterday is cause for sadness rather than celebration this year as scallop beds across the country are closed. Years of intensive dredging from commercial and recreational fishers, combined with warming waters and land run off have decimated our scallop populations to the point that there are virtually no scallop beds remaining open. In the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park two beds remain open, which are only really accessible by commercial dredgers.
With dredging being one of the root causes of the decimation of scallops, we want the government to ban this destructive fishing method from the Marine Park for now and evermore. Thankfully with the formation of a new Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan this year we have the opportunity.
Sign the petition to remove scallop dredging and bottom trawling from the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park now!
An opening of the scallop season, like no other |
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"The opening of the scallop season is historically a day of festivity, spring is here and the days are getting longer. This year, it's more sobering. Restrictions on scallop harvest mean that scallops are now virtually inaccessible to most kiwis. "
Andrew Johnson from the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council reflects on the current state of our scallops and how we got here.
Read more here.
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Scallop season has started – too bad we've almost wiped out the species |
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Getting scallop dredging and bottom trawling out of the Gulf |
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2022 presents us with the greatest opportunity we have ever had to completely remove these fishing methods as the Government develops a new Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan for both recreational and commercial fishing.
It is already proposed that all recreational dredging of scallops will be banned, yet commercial dredging on an industrial scale can continue. We need to gather as much public support for removing trawling and dredging as we can to pressure the minister to do the right thing. Sign the petition now! |
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Hidden fish hooks in the Fisheries Amendment Bill |
A decision is expected in mid-September on the next version of the Fisheries Amendment Bill, first released In November 2021. On the face of it, the Bill's aim is to make the necessary legislative changes to enable the rollout of cameras. But there are many sneaky provisions in the Bill that have nothing to do with fitting cameras and everything to do with squeezing public fishing into a broken Quota Management System.
We ran a campaign to raise public awareness around the damaging long-term consequences for fishers if the Bill were to be passed. Over 9500 submissions were made by the public to object to changes aimed at reducing the public's say in fisheries and removing Ministerial discretion. This discretion is vital as it's the last line of defence against excessive catch limits. We want to say a big thank you to everyone who made a submission, as it's always important to hold the Government accountable when sneaky changes are being pushed through Parliament.
The Bill is going through the Primary Production Committee and a decision is expected at the end of this month. We need to keep the pressure on. We need to encourage the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to separate the Bill. Continue with cameras on boats and treat the preset decision rules as separate legislation.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to know more, read our submission here.
Kai Ika reaches 250,000kg milestone |
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Since starting in 2016, the Kai Ika Project has now recovered and donated more than 250,000 kgs of kaimoana [fish] via Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae and other distribution outlets.
Lionel Hotene from Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae said: "When we started this conversation six years ago, we couldn't believe anyone would be throwing away this rangatira kai [chiefly food]. We never dreamed we would reach this milestone and be able to support so many whanau by sharing this healthy delicacy straight into the cooking pots of our people." |
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"For many, the people, the land and the oceans are inextricably entwined. If one is sick then all are sick. It's not enough to tell people they should do things differently, we are trying to lead by example, The Kai Ika Project is our attempt to be proactive and minimise waste streams," said Hotene. With the help of many, from the OBC to Moana, Sanford, and Royal Wolf, kaimoana is redistributed to families and community groups in South Auckland who value these fish parts. Even the offal is used in the marae gardens as fertiliser to grow kumara which is then shared with the community. Consumption of fish can be a wasteful process. On average, about 35% of whole fish is eaten as skinned and boned fillets. The remaining 65% of the fish (the heads, frames and offal) is usually discarded. |
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Governor General Visits Marae |
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Her Excellency, The Governor General, Dame Cindy Kiro (middle) at Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae. |
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To mark the major Kai Ika milestone, Her Excellency, The Governor General, Dame Cindy Kiro attended a ceremony at the Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae.
After being welcomed onto the marae, the Governor General enjoyed a range of dishes made from different parts of the fish. The Kai Ika smoked fish was the highlight, with snapper wings and a pate in abundance.
Kai Ika put on a show with the help of Sanford and distributed over 1,500kg of fresh kaimoana. |
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The mighty Northland Taniwha |
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The Northland Taniwha NPC team win again - this time against Wellington. Our flying # 15 Josh Moorby, sporting the LegaSea logo, scores a match winning try that ultimately carried the day.
Watch the highlights here. |
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-- Ngā mihi nui, Benn and the LegaSea crew |
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LegaSea appreciates the ongoing support of our Platinum and Gold partners - |
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