Kia ora Friend,
Kahawai, also known as the people's fish, is dear to most Kiwi's hearts. It's the fish we caught first when we were kids off the rocks, the wharf, the beach or the dinghy with the dodgy outboard. So it's apt that it has its own special day. National Kahawai Day, 28th May.
Yes, we may be a day late but the truth is every day should be Kahawai Day as we celebrate this magnificent species.
There's a darker side to the story. Kahawai has long been abused by the commercial fishing industry. Even now, it's hauled in by the tonne by purse seiners and much of it is sold overseas for less than $2 a kilo. Even some recreational fishers have treated it as a lesser fish, using it only for bait or maybe thrown on the smoker without a second thought.
So it's heartening to see kahawai now earning the respect it deserves, being served in quality restaurants and recipes created that celebrate this unique and flavoursome fish. Whether it's served raw, smoked, fried or in a curry, we love the humble kahawai!
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Remembering our fight for Kahawai |
There's a good reason why May 28th is National Kahawai Day. It's the day in 2009 when the Supreme Court delivered its landmark decision confirming the public's interests in having healthy fisheries. Non-commercial fishers have a right to quality fishing. The Court confirmed the Minister has a statutory (legal) obligation to set aside reasonable allowances for non-commercial interests, both Māori customary and recreational, before setting the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC). The Court confirmed what we all know, providing for people's social wellbeing is an important aspect when it comes to fishing and managing New Zealand's natural resources. In plain language, we need to prioritise feeding Kiwis.
Feeding Kiwis relies on having access to an abundant and vibrant coastal fishery. We need plenty of fish in the water to give us a chance to catch a feed for our families.
Prior to the advent of spotter planes and purse seiners prowling our coastline, kahawai was a traditional catch for Māori for centuries, and a popular catch for family fishers through generations. Now, the spectacle of kahawai schools off our beaches, river mouths, and coastline are rare.
Abundance is the key to fishing success for all of us.
The Kahawai Legal Challenge (KLC) was initiated in 2004. The historic High Court decision, delivered in 2007 by Justice Harrison, was challenged by Sanford Ltd and Sealord in the Court of Appeal in 2008. The Supreme Court hearing was held in February 2009. The KLC was the first time recreational fishers had banded together to challenge a Ministerial decision for the future management of a fish stock that was important to our wellbeing. The KLC was spearheaded by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and supported by Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whatua.
Without their foresight and courage to stand up for more fish in the water, the kahawai population would likely have continued to be depleted by purse seiners hoovering up whole schools merely to provide cray bait for overseas markets.
"The Kahawai Legal Challenge Court judgment proved to us that the public can influence how our fish stocks are managed in the future, to make sure our children enjoy more abundant fisheries."
Richard Baker, LegaSea spokesperson |
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Quick facts about kahawai... |
🦈 How much kahawai does New Zealand export? In 2024, New Zealand exported more than 975,000 kilograms of kahawai. The majority of kahawai is exported frozen, whole, no value added.
Source - Seafood New Zealand 2024. Pg 41 |
🦈 What's the export price of kahawai, per kilogram? In 2024, whole, frozen kahawai were on average exported for less than $2 per kilo.
Source - Seafood New Zealand 2024. Pg 41 |
To view more FAQs on kahawai such as how much kahawai recreational fisheries catch each year to feed their families, click here. |
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The Boat Show was a Blast |
The LegaSea stand at the beginning of the show... From 15th May, the LegaSea crew was back at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show – this time with a smaller stand in the Fishing, Dive and Travel zone, but we reckon we made a bigger impact than ever.
Across four packed days, we had more than 4,000 people swing by our stand and raised nearly $2,000 in donations to keep pushing back against the Fisheries Reform Scam. With over 30,000 people coming through the gates, it was awesome to see how many already knew about LegaSea – around three-quarters of the people we spoke to were already reading our newsletters and following along with our work.
Our stand had a simple message: Stop the Fisheries Reform Scam. We invited visitors to choose a fish and add it to our mural wall as a visual message to the Minister, telling him loud and clear that we want more fish in the water and a thriving ocean for the next generation. By Sunday, the wall was absolutely covered in kahawai, marlin, gurnard, tarakihi and more. |
...and at the end of the show.
We also ran a cracking prize draw thanks to some generous LegaSea partners and collected over 40kg of aluminium cans through our Cans for Kai initiative – turning waste into meals for our communities.
Thanks to LegaSea Gold partner XPO for putting on another great show, and thanks to everyone who stopped by, had a yarn, donated, or got involved. The fight's not over – but together, we're making some serious noise. |
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Shane Jones backpedals on bottom trawling ban in Hauraki Gulf |
Earlier this month Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, announced he is scrapping plans to restrict destructive bottom trawling within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. A slap in the face for more than 10,000 Kiwis who supported our Option Zero, a complete removal of bottom trawling and Danish seining in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. A Horizon Research poll showed that 84% of Gulf residents want trawling banned from the Marine Park. Jones has clearly ignored public interests once again just to prioritise the interests of big commercial fishing entities.
If we can't ban trawling from the country's largest Marine Park, what hope do we have of removing it along the rest of our coastline? |
As exposed in David Attenborough's latest documentary "Ocean", bottom trawling drags weighted nets along the seafloor, scooping up everything in its path. While it's destroying the seafloor the nets also catch excessive quantities of unwanted species that end up thrown overboard either dead or dying.
The Quota Management System (QMS) legally allows commercial fishers to continue to use these destructive fishing methods. Instead, it should be encouraging fishers to transition to less harmful and selective techniques. Surface long-lining is a good example.
There needs to be reform at the core so harmful practices are removed from our coastal waters once and for all. Until then we will keep fighting.
Want to read more? Click here to read Andrew Bevin's Newsroom article. |
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In the news... Proposed crayfish closure for Northland's East Coast
This is not Jones being bold or making a pragmatic choice. The Courts have ruled twice that this is a legal requirement. Crayfish is New Zealand's most valuable seafood export, so the High Court interventions are a perfect example of how the QMS is failing to manage harvest limits appropriately.
To keep it simple, in the latest High Court ruling, Justice Boldt said "crayfish eat kina, and kina eat kelp." The loss of a principal predator means kina populations have exploded, leading to the destruction of kelp forests and the creation of 'kina barrens'. Click here to read the RNZ article by Peter de Graaf.
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Warkworth oyster farmers call for an urgent solution to sewage overflowing into Mahurangi River
For many, when it comes to restoring biodiversity in the marine ecosystem the first suggestion is more marine reserves. However, it often is a case of first identifying the core issue. Degradation usually reverts back to the ongoing use of destructive fishing techniques, over harvest and in this case, land based pollution. The key to successful restoration is to ensure we address the root cause of the issue - Click here to read more from Amy Williams at RNZ.
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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