Kia ora Friend,
I Fish. I Care. I Vote.
Fish, for the first time, is an election issue and LegaSea wants you to make an informed choice when casting your vote on November 7th.
This year we have collated political party's responses to questions that are important to us and our kids. We've put them in a simple table so you can see how your party is intending to manage our marine environment, if they get elected. Please share where you can. An intense couple of weeks has been capped off by Shane Jones' decision to not close the east coast tarakihi fishery. This decision defies the sustainability concerns raised in our July submission. It does instead align with what commercial fishers asked for this year.
The loss of tarakihi from our waters means another Kiwi fish and chip shop favourite may soon be a memory.
On the positive side, our Kill the Bill video is generating lots of feedback and convos about how we might better manage our fish in the future. It ends in Wellington, the centre of all decision-making.
One decision that is eagerly awaited is Shane Jones' response to the nonsensical proposal to reopen two scallop beds in Whangārei Harbour. We've pushed back hard on that idea in the interests of having more scallops in more places in the future. The future of fishing was a major focus in Whitianga last weekend, where both LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council held their Annual General Meeting. LegaSea is obliged to report back to the Council, our parent body, every year. Fundraising has been tough going over the past year due to the economic climate. Even so, our successful public awareness campaigns means we all share in the success of more business Partners coming onboard and more individuals committing to regular contributions through our LegaSea Legends initiative.
Your contributions over the past year are highly valued and this latest news is available for you to share with family, friends and colleagues. Get them onboard and let's vote this November! |
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Fisheries is officially an election issue! |
Thanks to Minister Shane Jones and YOU, our oceans are firmly on the political agenda this year.
Last election only one party had a dedicated fisheries policy. That has changed in 2026.
In August, LegaSea sent all the major parties a list of policy statements asking them where they stand in terms of restoring abundance in our marine waters. Their answers are mixed.
We've collated their responses into a simple policy table so you can see what your party is supporting in terms of banning trawling inshore and reforming the quota management system. If you want to dive deeper, there's more detail online here. Not all parties have responded yet, and not all parties will have a fisheries policy. But with huge public interest and mass support for Kill the Bill, we'll keep updating the table as answers arrive.
LegaSea is non-partisan. We won't tell you who to vote for, everyone's priorities are different.
We're here to give you the latest info so you can make an informed decision and back the party that best fits your needs and your vision for marine abundance. 🌊🐟 |
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Quick Facts about the election |
🎯 Which political parties does LegaSea support? LegaSea is non-partisan. We do not support any specific political party. We are committed to raising public awareness, showing people where each political party stands in regards to issues that are important to our marine environment, fish and fishing. This is to make it easier for people to make an informed decision and back the party that aligns with their values and needs. |
🎯 Why is it important that political parties have a fisheries policy?
Because the marine environment and fishing is important to millions of New Zealanders. For the first time, fisheries is an election issue. This means Kiwis now have an opportunity to align their normal vote with the party that best fits in with their fishing interests. |
🎯 How do we make sure we get a fish-friendly Fisheries Minister?
Under coalition arrangements nothing is guaranteed, that's why it's important to understand where lots of parties stand in terms of fisheries policy. Having cross-party support for restoring the abundance of fish means there is more chance of getting a Minister that will work towards that collective goal. |
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The Minister's decision doesn't cut it |
LegaSea is stunned that Shane Jones has not closed the east coast to tarakihi fishing despite the stock collapse. Instead, the Minister has cut east coast commercial catch limits by just 20 percent, and west coast limits by 55 percent. And halved the amateur daily bag limit nationwide. The cuts to commercial catch limits are not enough to enable tarakihi to rebuild to acceptable abundance levels within the foreseeable future. And there are already rumblings that this decision may be heading back to court. Halving the recreational daily bag limit will contribute little to the rebuild because of the lack of fish. What's more, these cuts will make it even harder for families to justify the expense of a day's boating. Since the 2017 "rebuild plan" was implemented, mature tarakihi abundance on the east coast has collapsed from around 18 percent to less than 8 percent of their estimated original level. It has been below the official hard limit, the point where closure is meant to be considered, since the late 2010s. On the west coast, the prevalence of mature tarakihi is under 30 percent of their estimated unfished level. Fisheries NZ call them depleted and overfished. In our view, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has not fulfilled his statutory obligation to ensure sustainability of tarakihi.
Minister Jones is not putting New Zealanders first. The loss of tarakihi from our waters means another Kiwi fish and chip shop favourite may soon be a memory. The Minister has trumpeted the commercial catch reductions as a balance between sustainability and utilisation. In reality, the public are being punished for decades of overfishing and a 'hands off' approach by officials.
In July we called on the Minister to close the east coast tarakihi fishery, or reduce commercial catch limits by 78 percent. Industrial interests argued for a 20 percent reduction - the Minister has bowed to their demands. Decision-making over time that only complies with commercial demands, even when the evidence requires a different decision, is classed as regulatory capture. Not a new phenomena, but a precarious process that may well be challenged by parties interested in restoring tarakihi to its functional place in the marine ecosystem. |
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Kill the Bill - the video |
Our Kill the Bill campaign to stop the Fisheries Amendment Bill was one of LegaSea's most successful. Getting the Bill shelved before the election was a huge win for our fish and every recreational fisher in New Zealand.
The Bill included a raft of sweeping changes to the Fisheries Act, drawn up behind closed doors by industrial fishing interests and ministry officials. Had they passed, it would have stripped away long-standing protections and tilted our fisheries even further towards industrial interests.
Stopping the Bill took a team effort, with so many people contributing to the fight.
Special thanks goes to Matt Watson, Kurt Eklund and Darren Shields, who encouraged so many Kiwis to stand up and make a submission. And to the One Ocean Project, which brought recreational fishers together from around the country.
We've put together a 7-minute video showing how the Kill the Bill campaign came together and how we won.
Watch it here. |
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Too risky to open scallop beds now |
Photo by Etoile Smulders Submissions to Fisheries NZ on reopening Whangārei Harbour to recreational scallop harvest have closed. Well done and thank you to those who took the time to make your voice heard. We were copied into some heartfelt submissions.
Reopening a couple of scallop beds in time for Christmas is deliciously tempting, but the best available science indicates that this would be premature and risky. The wider Northland scallop fishery is showing signs of limited recovery.
LegaSea worked alongside the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, NZ Angling & Casting and NZ Underwater to make a joint submission opposing reopening any scallop beds in Whangārei Harbour. We recommended the Minister wait until the 2027 scallop biomass survey results are published before considering reopening scallop beds in the Northland fishery.
Who knows what the Minister will decide for the future of scallops? Our bottom lines are no dredging and meaningful reforms that ensure low-impact scallop harvesting can be sustained in the future.
To read more about why we opposed the reopening and why we support an alternative management plan, read our joint submission here. |
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The 70th NZSFC Annual General Meeting |
Last weekend, the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club hosted the 70th New Zealand Sport Fishing Council AGM alongside the LegaSea AGM.
In 2011, the Council recognised the need for dedicated public outreach to help Kiwis understand what's at stake for our marine environment. LegaSea launched in 2012 to deliver on that commitment. Ever since then we have campaigned, attended events, and grown a community of supporters, partners and sponsors. The AGMs are an important occasion for LegaSea and the NZSFC to report back to our stakeholders - the Council's clubs and affiliated members. It's also where new fisheries management policies are debated and voted on, shaping what LegaSea can work towards. Over the two days, club representatives from around the country heard updates on fisheries science and management, boating safety, biosecurity, political policy, youth development, tournaments, communications, and our growing network of commercial partners. It's a highlight in the LegaSea calendar - a chance to catch up with club members, hear what's happening around the country, and have a bit of fun along the way.
Special thanks to the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club for hosting, Whitehaven Wines for the wine, and Crafty's Fishing Club for their generous $3000 donation. |
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Toyota - solid backers of the Kai Ika Project |
For the past couple of years, Auckland City Toyota has geared up the Kai Ika Project Auckland with a Toyota Hilux hybrid ute.
The Hilux is a workhorse for the team. Fish heads and frames travel in the rear-mounted chiller out to feed families, and the same ute tows the Cans for Kai trailer around town, collecting cans from suppliers before they head off to Phoenix Recycling to go another round. It is support like this that keeps this mahi running week to week. Ngā mihi nui to the team at Auckland City Toyota.
Find out more about Auckland City Toyota here.
In Wellington, Rutherford & Bond Toyota have become our main programme partner, driven by the passion of CEO and local fisherman Derek Tilyard.
They provide a fully kitted-out ute with a custom-mounted coolbox on the back, which keeps the whole operation moving. They also back our Cans for Kai programme by donating every used car battery from their five stores for recycling, with the proceeds going towards the project.
Through Meals that Matter, Rutherford & Bond Toyota staff got hands on to help make 336 kai ika soup ready-to-eat meals, which were gifted to Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira's social supermarket. On top of that, the team are a constant source of encouragement and practical help in more ways than we can list here.
Their partnership has been invaluable in helping us grow and keep going and their humility and dedication to the wellbeing of local communities above all else is a beautiful thing. Our local team member Chris Jupp says, "if every community cause had someone in their corner like Rutherford & Bond Toyota, the wellbeing of our nation would undoubtedly be better". |
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Scallop fishery: Groups urge Shane Jones to keep Whangārei Harbour closed
Recreational fishing groups say reopening Whangārei Harbour's scallop beds could undo four years of recovery efforts. The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, LegaSea, New Zealand Angling and Casting Association and New Zealand Underwater Association lodged a joint 10-page submission in the Government's consultation, which closed last Friday. Sarah Curtis, NZ Herald, Spetember 2026 |
A real solution to depletion
Communities like Mahurangi continue to pay the price for decades of poorly managed fisheries. Right now, we're dealing with temporary closures to shellfish harvesting, bans on crayfish and scallop gathering, and smaller bag limits. These measures are only a band-aid solution. They don't solve the underlying problem of a failing fisheries management system driving the ongoing depletion of our coastal fisheries.
LegaSea, September 2026 |
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LegaSea is proudly supported by its Gold and Platinum partners: |
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