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Photo credit: Richard Smith

 

Kia ora Friend,

 

 

Have your say on daily bag limits

In June this year the Tairua community and local iwi Ngāti Hei were horrified to witness binfulls of pink maomao being taken from Coromandel waters under the guise of "recreational fishing". Fisheries officers were powerless to prosecute the people responsible because bag limits and size limits do not apply to pink maomao and some other reef species. 

In the absence of any official response, Ngāti Hei stepped in and placed a rāhui, a ban, on any fishing for pink maomao within their rohe, on the eastern Coromandel Peninsula. 

 

In response to the pressure from local recreational fishers and Ngāti Hei, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, David Parker, has directed Fisheries New Zealand to sort out the mess so that this type of pseudo-commercial fishing for reef fish cannot occur in the future. 

 

Fisheries NZ has issued a complex range of options to change daily bag limits for recreational fishers.

 

We're saying: Keep it simple. Let's protect pink and blue maomao, grand daddy hāpuku, pigfish, and wrasses now. Then let's have a bigger discussion next year. 

 

Use the submission form on our website to have your say.
Submissions are due by 5pm Thursday, 18th November. 

Now, the Minister must:

  1. Make it illegal for anyone to sell reef fish such as pink and blue maomao, grand daddy hāpuku, pigfish and wrasses.
  2. Set a maximum daily bag limit of 3 of any of these reef species within the current, combined daily bag limit.
  3. Retain the current daily bag limits that apply around the North and South Islands until a wider discussion takes place.

In 2022, the Minister must:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive review of daily bag limits. 
  2. Publish draft proposals then allow the public sufficient time to understand the issues and consider how any changes might affect them. 
  3. Give the public an opportunity to have their voice heard and respected.
HAVE YOUR SAY, MAKE A SUBMISSION NOW

Around 600,000 people fish in the sea at least once a year. Most of these people will be oblivious to the current review process. They might want to have a say on a whole range of matters. Fisheries NZ must give people respect and sufficient time to share their views. 

 

The urgency is closing the loophole around the pink and blue maomao, grand daddy hāpuku, pigfish, and wrasses.

 

Then next year Fisheries NZ must spend time and resources on a proper process to allow for well informed public debate. 

 

Bag limits often determine when, where and how we go fishing. This fishing culture is ingrained in many peoples' lives. It is part of who we are as a people and a Pacific nation. Any changes will have broad impacts

 

In recent years the term "recreational" fishing has been used to downplay the importance and cultural significance of people fishing for food while sharing time with family and friends. For those of us fortunate enough to go fishing the pleasure is then to share our catch amongst our family, friends and neighbours. The benefits of this one activity is spread throughout the community. 

 

Fisheries NZ must be fair to the many thousands of fishers across the country, including local hapū and coastal communities who rely on the sea to supplement their weekly food intake. Let's keep it simple.

 

Use the submission form on our website to have your say.
Submissions are due by 5pm Thursday, 18th November. 

 

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Ngā mihi

Trish and the LegaSea crew

 

 

 

 

 

LegaSea appreciates the ongoing support of our Platinum and Gold partners -

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