LegaSea

Photo by Scott Cushman

Kia ora Friend,

Mānawatia a Matariki!

Matariki is a time to reflect, reconnect and share. For many of us, that means gathering around a meal of fresh kaimoana with family and friends. It's a reminder of what abundance looks like, and why it's worth protecting. Here's hoping that by next Matariki we're talking about fish stocks on the road to recovery, instead of further decline.

This week we also took that message to Parliament, joining thousands of New Zealanders calling for better management of our fisheries. We want a future where our moana is treated with respect. Where a healthy ocean is a priority for all of us.

Right now there's another opportunity to make your voice heard - submissions on the proposed tarakihi catch limits close tomorrow, Friday 24 July, at 5pm. Tarakihi populations around the country have been depleted to worrying levels. This is your last chance to tell Fisheries New Zealand that rebuilding this important fishery must start now.

If you haven't made a submission yet, it only takes a couple of minutes. Please take the time to have your say.

24 Hours left to have your say on tarakihi!

Time is running out to have your say on catch limit changes that will shape the future of some of our favourite fish species across the country, including west and east coast tarakihi.

It only takes a few minutes. Click here to use LegaSea's easy online tarakihi submission form to have your say. Submissions close 5pm Friday 24 July.

Both east and west coast tarakihi stocks are in serious trouble; intervention is required. LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council are backing the most significant catch limit reduction on the table, giving tarakihi populations the best possible chance of rebuilding.

Even though east coast tarakihi populations have collapsed, officials can't close the fishery. Why? Because tarakihi is caught in the mixed finfish trawl fishery alongside snapper, trevally and gurnard.

We're calling for tarakihi to become a by-catch-only commercial fishery - no more targeting it directly.

The real problem that must be addressed is trawling. Indiscriminate fishing methods are dragging vulnerable stocks like tarakihi down. Transitioning to more selective fishing methods would mean tarakihi and other at-risk species are better protected.

Have your say here!

How to help

We can only do our job with the support of people like you. If you would like to do more, please consider one of the following:

➔ Donate to LegaSea

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Butterfish, elephantfish, pāua and more!

LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council are finalising submissions on 15 of the 24 fisheries management proposals.

Cuts to the recreational daily bag limit are on the table for east and west coast tarakihi and west coast South Island butterfish. So it's important to have your say as these changes will impact you and your family's ability to gather kai moana.

Here are some of the proposals you can have your say on before 5pm Friday 24 July. Email your submissions to FMsubmissions@mpi.govt.nz. Feel free to copy us in fm@legasea.co.nz

Please note, the links below will take you to the LegaSea / NZ Sport Fishing Council brief preliminary view documents for each species.

Fisheries under pressure - catch reductions proposed

Tarakihi (TAR 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8) - nationwide. FNZ proposal to cut commercial catch limit and the recreational daily limit. Have your say now.

Butterfish (BUT 7) - Marlborough and west coast South Island. FNZ proposal to cut commercial catch limits and the recreational daily limit.

Elephantfish (ELE 3 & 5) - East coast and Southland, South Island. FNZ proposal to cut commercial catch limit and recreational allowance.

Pāua (PAU 7) - Marlborough. FNZ proposal to cut commercial catch limit and recreational allowance.

Pāua (PAU 5D) - East coast and Southland, South Island. FNZ proposal to cut commercial catch limit and recreational allowance. Increase allowance set aside for Customary Māori.

Proposed commercial catch increases

Blue mackerel (EMA 7) - west coast, North and South Island. FNZ proposal to increase commercial catch limit.

Snapper and trevally (SNA 2 & TRE 2) - East Cape to Wellington. FNZ proposal to increase commercial catch limits.

You can find the other proposals online here.

Kill the Bill goes to Parliament

Were you one of the 4000 people at the Hutchwilco Boatshow who placed a sticker on our 'Kill the Bill' wall?

On Tuesday, the LegaSea team took your sign to the steps of Parliament, calling on MPs and political parties to kill the Fisheries Amendment Bill in the next term of government. Click here to watch a snippet.

The Bill isn't dead. Thanks to widespread public pressure - including more than 33,000 submissions opposing the Bill in May - The Minister has backed down, advising that his "much beloved" Bill will not be passed before November 7. However, it could still come back next term.

We need political parties to commit to not progressing the current Bill then offer meaningful policy to restore abundance. Because without fish in the water, everyone loses.

Thanks to the MPs from coalition partners National and ACT, and Labour, Te Pāti Māori, Greens, along with Tākuta Ferris and Opportunity Party, who took the time to show up, listen and engage with our concerns.

Keep the pressure on - we're not done yet.

In the news...

Marlborough anglers sound alarm on fisheries

News that one of New Zealand's most popular eating fish, tarakihi, has been over-fished on the east coast to below eight percent of its original biomass is a direct reflection of the failure of the Quota Management System (QMS).

Marlborough Weekly, July 2026

Chile's seamounts are still damaged, decades after trawling ended

A new study finds that Chile's Juan Fernández seamounts still show significant ecological damage more than 25 years after bottom trawling ended, with deep-sea corals showing little sign of recovery.

Oceanographic, July 2026

Tide going out on Auckland's marine life

Two experts say both education and legislation would help a situation which is rapidly coming to a racist and threatening head around Auckland's shorelines

Alexia Russell - The Detail, Newsroom, July 2026

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