Photo by Paul Jackson

Kia ora Friend,

Another week and another Minister has been appointed to look after our fish and marine environment.  

Rachel Brooking is the new Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, sitting outside Cabinet. She replaces David Parker who was reappointed last month when Stuart Nash (a Minister for Fisheries in the last government) was stripped of his ministerial responsibilities. That was after replacing Parker in a Cabinet reshuffle at the beginning of the year.

After this ministerial merry-go-round we are looking forward to some stability in the role. We're keen to work with the new Minister and hope she is brave enough to make good conservative decisions for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and other fisheries around New Zealand.

It's a big ask though. Fisheries management is a complex issue and it can take a while to get a good enough understanding of it to make impactful decisions. Commercial fishing lobbyists and a Ministry seemingly focused on extracting every last fish from the sea will no doubt muddy the waters for her. We can only hope that she can see through the noise and do what's right.

Our snapper are starving

Mushy, white-fleshed snapper have been a hot topic over barbecues, bait boards and beers in the north of the country for some time, and it seems there are more theories on the cause and remedy than there is snapper.

The way in which we are commercial fishing, the amount of baitfish we are harvesting and our lifestyle have resulted in the large-scale depletion of important food sources that have historically sustained snapper and other finfish populations.

Click here to read the recent piece in The Spinoff.

Northland crayfish (CRA1) decision

Following the shocking reports that snapper are starving in the Hauraki Gulf, the minimal cuts to Northland commercial crayfish catch limits have been described as a slap in the face for conservation. Environmental and recreational fishing groups were hoping Stuart Nash, the previous Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, would have gone further with his last decision. 

"The 16 tonne reduction to the commercial catch limit is well below the 53 tonne cut we recommended the Minister apply if he was serious about restoring crayfish numbers."

"If the Minister had cut the commercial limit in half recreational fishers would have happily reduced their daily limit to help restore crayfish numbers," says LegaSea Project Lead Sam Woolford. 

"Instead, the Minister has applied a mere 15 percent reduction to commercial catches. And at the same time he has cut recreational bag limits in half. We put a lot of effort into our recent submission so this decision is a slap in the face for a community concerned about crayfish depletion and eager to see the marine environment restored." 

Read the submission here. | Process timeline here.

The future of the Gulf is still in the balance

With consultation on the draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan now closed, the new Minister for Oceans and Fisheries will soon be considering any changes to the draft plan. 

Fisheries New Zealand will be pushing for the retention of trawl corridors (now, due to indicative sizes, they're more aptly called trawl access zones) and scallop dredging (once the scallop beds re-open) in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, despite the public backlash against continued trawling and dredging.

Through the Hauraki Gulf Alliance website nearly 7,000 public submissions were made on the plan, with virtually all demanding that bottom trawling and scallop dredging be banned in the Marine Park. This, combined with the Alliance's petition reaching 35,000, we are hopeful the Minister will listen to the call from New Zealanders to make a decision prioritising the health of the marine environment.

Unfortunately, past experience suggests others' views will be prioritised.  FNZ is unlikely to change its advice to the minister in the face of public pressure and is more likely to side with commercial interests and allow trawling and dredging to continue.

Show your heart for the Hauraki Gulf

Join us at an on-water protest on Saturday 22 April at 10am to show the government that we want bottom trawling and scallop dredging banned from the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park now and forever!

We are working with fellow Hauraki Gulf Alliance members, Greenpeace and Forest & Bird, to organise a large flotilla of boats, paddleboards and kayaks off Mission Bay. We want to make some noise and create a colourful image that calls on decision-makers to protect the Gulf from destructive bottom trawling.

What's happening:

A peaceful gathering of vessels on the water to show support for increased protections for the precious Hauraki Gulf.

Create some noise and a giant people-powered image in support of getting destructive bottom trawling methods removed from the Gulf, so the area can recover.

If you'd like to bring your vessel down on the day, please register it below, to help give us an idea of numbers, or you can just turn up!

Don't have a vessel? No worries! Join us beachside at Mission Bay for some fun ocean themed activities, details to be confirmed.

Register now | Updates and information here.

Kaikōura paua reopening

There is joy in the south now that the paua fishery around Kaikōura is reopening this Saturday. There are new rules and size limits, and daily catch limits vary depending where you are fishing. 

While we acknowledge the late notice of rule changes from Fisheries NZ, please check the new rules to make sure you stay within the legal limits. Details here.

To read our last submission in favour of reopening this fishery, go to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council webpage here. 

Are you a Card Shark?

A brand new set of fish cards have been produced and are now being given away in Turkish Bread Crispy Pizza packs. This year the cards are called Card Sharks and feature 24 fascinating species of sharks and rays. 

Included with the Card Sharks is a competition card with a unique code. You can enter the code on the LegaSea website and be in to win an instant prize of a $50 Marine Deals voucher, And, you will also go into the prize draw to win one of 10 inflatable stand-up paddle-boards from Marine Deals worth $1000 each!

Collect your Card Sharks from Turkish Bread Crisp Pizza Packs.

So go to your local supermarket now, buy a delicious Turkish Bread Crispy Pizza pack and get your Card Sharks and the chance to win big.

Māori Customary fishing question

Last month the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries closed the Coromandel scallop fishery to all commercial and recreational harvest until further notice. Stuart Nash's decision was made under section 11 of the Fisheries Act. The closure applies to scalloping in waters between Leigh in the northern Hauraki Gulf and Maketū in the Bay of Plenty.

When LegaSea published Stuart Nash's decision there was a strong reaction from people, some celebrating the decision as being inevitable, while others highlighted the inequity that Māori customary fishing could continue while commercial and recreational harvest was banned. 

We approached Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ) for an explanation. We received a response here. It presents the specific legislation that supports ongoing customary fishing. We acknowledge the statutory support for ongoing customary fishing, but we don't think this explanation is adequate so we have asked FNZ for more detail and will report on their response in an upcoming newsletter. 

We want to make it clear that we are reporting on Fisheries New Zealand's policy regards Māori customary fishing in areas closed to commercial and recreational fishing. It's not our policy. However, it's really important we all understand the statutory support for this policy, especially as FNZ are planning more closed areas in the future.  

When it rains it pours

The need to protect our fishery is clear, which is why so many businesses are joining our fight to restore marine abundance for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Bridgestone Tyre Centre St Lukes is another brand who has put their support behind LegaSea and our cause. With no real ties to the marine industry, these guys are supporting us out of sheer social responsibility.

At Bridgestone Tyre Centre St Lukes you'll find an extensive range of quality tyres, including car tyres, SUV and 4x4 tyres, van tyres, complete tyre services, including tyre fitting, wheel balancing, wheel alignment and puncture repair.

If you're a business that wants to invest in our fisheries resources, please drop us a line at sponsor@legasea.co.nz.

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Ngā mihi nui,

Benn and the LegaSea crew

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