Kia ora Friend,
Thank you to everyone who spoke up for marlin and our vulnerable reef species. More than 22,000 people took the time to make a submission, which is significant for an issue that should never have been pushed this close to the line. Your support, your voice, and the donations that came with it genuinely matter. We know most commercial operators want to do the right thing, but the moment you put a price tag on a species, everything shifts. We have seen it before with swordfish. What was once framed as bycatch quickly became 900 tonnes of landings. You do not hit numbers like that by accident, and it shows how fast incentives can influence behaviour and ultimately reshape a fishery.
That is why people spoke up in such big numbers, and why your submission made a difference. This is only the beginning. Next year will bring even bigger decisions and even more pressure to defend the health of our oceans. We will need you with us again, and we will make sure you know exactly when to act. |
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The marlin and reef fish campaign was a real sprint. We had a tiny window to get the word out, yet Kiwis rallied almost instantly. People shared the message, fishing clubs mobilised, charter skippers stepped up, and some of the biggest names in our fishing world threw their weight behind protecting a species that had always been recreational-only. For something announced out of the blue, the response was huge. More than 22,000 submissions went in. That level of public pushback is rare in fisheries, mainly because the only people who even know these proposals exist are the ones who live and breathe the ocean. When that entire community speaks with one voice, it's untenable for any minister to ignore.
Logically, you would expect this kind of feedback to put the brakes on the marlin proposal. It would be strange for the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to look at a response this clear and choose not to listen. If he does push ahead regardless, it will tell us a lot about where the priorities really sit and how closely aligned the decisions are with industry interests.
For now, it is worth acknowledging just how powerful this moment was. A short, sharp campaign and a united community. Over 22,000 people who refuse to see marlin and our reef species put on the block. Regardless of what comes next, this was an incredible show of what can be done when people stand together. |
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Quick Facts about proposed amendments |
🧜♂️ What are the 19 reef fish species Fisheries NZ are seeking to commercialise?
In October 2025, Fisheries NZ proposed removing regulations to allow commercial fishers to keep and sell vulnerable reef fish species including; giant and long-finned boarfish, red pigfish, butterfly and splendid perch, scarlet and sandager's wrasse, green and banded wrasse, red moki, goatfish, silver drummer, rock cod, kelpfish, black angelfish, marblefish, notch-headed marblefish, painted moki, and toadstool groper.
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🧜♂️ Will there be any limits on how many marlin can be landed if the regulations are changed? No. |
🧜♂️ Why are commercial fishers not permitted to keep and sell dead marlin?
Commercial fishers are unable to keep and sell dead marlin caught within New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in order to preserve these fish as a non-commercial fishery. This regulation has been in place since 1991 and was negotiated between the New Zealand Big Game Fishing Council (now NZ Sport Fishing Council), commercial fishers and the government at the end of the Billfish Moratorium.
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2026 - It's going to be a big one! |
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be another biggie for our oceans. The pressure is not easing. If anything, it is lining up to get heavier. We fully expect the return of the fisheries reform package, which many of you will remember as the Reform Scam. The same proposal that tried to weaken public fishing rights, soften environmental protections, and hand even more influence to the quota owners is almost certain to come back for another run.
Alongside that, we will see more so-called sustainability rounds. We have learned the hard way that these rounds are often anything but. Quotas go up while habitats decline, bycatch issues are brushed aside, and the long-term health of our fisheries is treated as an afterthought. It is a system that rewards extraction, not recovery, and that is exactly why our collective conversations matter.
And on top of all of that, we're heading into an election year. This is the moment where we have to be clear-eyed about who we vote for and why. When a government shows such disregard for the marine environment and keeps making decisions that put short-term industry gain ahead of abundant fisheries, something has to shift. Healthy oceans do not happen by accident. They come from leadership, accountability, and public pressure applied in the right places.
Next year will test all of us, but it will also give us a chance to try and reset the direction of our fisheries. We will be ready, and we will definitely need you with us. |
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Stand up for our Fisheries |
IIf you have ever backed LegaSea or stood up for the future of New Zealand fishing, this is your moment.
We are pushing hard to keep destructive fishing out of our inshore waters, rebuild depleted stocks, and make sure our fish feed Kiwis first. At the same time, the Minister and his quota allies are trying to rewrite the Fisheries Act in a way that would undo years of progress. Marlin on the block. Reef species opened up. Short-term profit dressed up as reform.
We are not letting that slide, but we cannot do it on thin air. That is why we are calling on businesses to join us as LegaSea Works Partners. It costs $500 a year to put your name behind the fight for healthier fisheries.
For most workplaces, that is a couple of coffees a week, yet it makes a real difference to what we can deliver. You help us push back against destructive fishing techniques. You help us keep more fish in the water. You help us stand up for a fishery our kids can enjoy. In return, you get a Marine Deals voucher, a framed Ian Wills print, your name on our site, and the satisfaction of knowing you stepped up when it mattered.
If you run a business or know someone who does, this is one of the simplest and strongest ways to get behind the cause. The road ahead is long, but with a solid crew behind us, we will get there as Work partners.
Find out more. |
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Blue cod reductions again! |
Blue cod fishers in the south have every right to be frustrated. Years of poor management have pushed southern blue cod to the point where recreational fishers are now carrying the cost of decades of excessive commercial catches.
Commercial limits have been tightened on the South Island's east coast and across the lower North Island, but it is hard to see them as anything other than too little, too late. - From 2 December, the amateur daily bag limit for blue cod catches has reduced markedly.
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In Foveaux Strait and south Otago waters, the limit has been cut from 15 to 10 per person, per day.
- Blue cod caught around the lower west coast of the North Island has a limit of 2 per person, per day. Down from 10 each.
Serial depletion is a real issue for blue cod. They tend to stay put, which means once an area is hammered, commercial fishers simply move on leaving few blue cod in their wake. Add trawling into the mix, which is anything but selective, and the stock simply has little capacity to recover.
Blue cod have become so scarce around the lower North Island that they are now treated as bycatch in the trawl fishery. That alone should force us to ask whether trawling still has any place in our inshore waters.
During July, LegaSea, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, New Zealand Angling & Casting Association and New Zealand Underwater developed substantial submissions urging the Minister to make precautionary decisions for blue cod. Most of our arguments were ignored.
However, Minister Shane Jones has agreed that a review of the National Blue Cod Strategy will get underway within six months. That's too late, we need a greater commitment to rebuild our precious blue cod stocks.
It's an indictment on fisheries managers that our blue cod are already considered a rare catch in many southern areas. We don't want the next chapter for our beautiful blue cod to be a bedtime story. More info Blue cod 3 east coast South Island - our July submission
Blue cod 5 south Otago, Foveaux Strait, Fiordland - our July submission
Blue cod 8 west coast, lower North Island - our July submission |
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The Free Fish Heads app has quietly become one of the smartest ways to share kai, cut waste, and strengthen communities. It connects people who have fish heads and frames with those who want them, creating local food networks that are built on generosity rather than throwing good kai in the bin. In a country where fish is getting harder to afford, this matters more than ever.
We know people can and do share fish heads through local Facebook groups and community pages, and that's cool, too. The difference with the app is that it makes the whole process easier and more reliable. You can list what you have, find someone nearby who wants it, and make sure the fish is picked up quickly while it is still fresh. The rating system prioritises trusted people, and you can see reviews of previous trades. Over time, people tend to form regular exchanges, which builds trust, consistency, and a genuine sense of community resilience.
Every head and frame shared is a meal that might otherwise have gone to waste. It is also a reminder that the best use of a fish is never just fillets. There is real value in the parts that get overlooked, and the app helps make sure they end up on a plate rather than in a landfill.
Get it now on Google Play and the App Store. |
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We are pleased to welcome Total Access as our newest Gold Partner!
Total Access is a phenomenal New Zealand company with more than sixteen years of experience in access equipment, scaffolding, and height services. They support the construction sector with a wide range of services, from access machine hire and scaffolding through to industrial abseiling, truck-mounted booms, lighting towers, material handling equipment, and on-site fuel solutions. Their EWP and forklift training programmes are widely trusted across the industry, which reflects their focus on safety and doing things properly.
Based in Auckland and now operating nationwide with branches in Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch, Total Access has built its name on reliability, technical expertise, and a commitment to making access easy for its customers. We are proud to have them step up as Gold Partners. Their backing strengthens our work to protect our fisheries and stand up for the interests of recreational fishers across the country. It is great to have them with us. --
If you would like to discuss becoming a LegaSea Partner, please contact us on sponsor@legasea.co.nz |
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In the News...
Public response surges as fishing community pushes back, with marlin decision expected this week
Concerns around proposed changes to marlin and several reef species have drawn a remarkable public response, with more than 22,000 people filing submissions in recent weeks. The volume of feedback reflects widespread unease among recreational fishers, clubs and coastal communities who say the proposals could shift long-standing expectations about how these fisheries are managed. Chris Woodhams, Boating NZ, December 2025 |
Hands off our Marlin
It's fair to say that a good percentage of Kiwi fishers are obsessed with marlin. This magnificent species has long been part of our coastal identity. So much so it's hard to miss the marlin emblems displayed on logos, T-shirts and signs across Northland, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. Also in recent years they are being caught in many other regions including off the South Island. Fishing in Godzone, December 2025 |
Shane Jones hits back at Northland critics over marlin rules and fishing reforms
Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has accused opponents of proposed marine reforms of "catastrophising" the changes. Critics, including television fishing personality and Northlander Matt Watson, say the changes could reshape New Zealand's marine management and threaten the country's world-class big game fishing industry on which Northland economies rely. Sarah Curtis, Northern Advocate, December 2025 |
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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