Kia ora Friend,
What a monster few weeks it's been.
We've been swamped by pragmatic Kiwis alarmed by Shane Jones's fisheries reform proposals. Sure, reforms can be positive - just not this one. It's a scam - literally defined as a "fraudulent or deceptive act or operation."
If the proposed changes go ahead, they'll strip away public consultation from important future fisheries decisions, limit camera visibility on boats (or let fishers turn them off altogether), and hand our coastal fisheries over to private commercial interests. Thousands of people have already submitted their opposition which is a great start, but we need everyone on board: your whānau, your neighbours, your workmates - anyone who values our marine environment and fresh seafood on the table.
Together, we can stop these radical proposals and protect our fisheries for generations to come. We owe it to our kids to leave them a healthier fishery than the one we inherited - so please make a submission and encourage others to do the same! The submission deadline is 5pm Friday 11 April 2025.
Thank you to those of you who have made a submission! |
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Horizon Research Poll: Shane Jones is an island (and not a healthy one)
We aren't alone. Our experiences are reinforced by a recent nationwide Horizon Research survey that reveals that Shane Jones is out on a limb, pushing these reforms in direct opposition to what most Kiwis - and even many NZ First voters - want. This poll included a representative cross-section of New Zealanders* and asked how they felt about some of the key aspects of the proposed changes. Here's what they said:
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Minister Alone Setting Catch Limits
⚓️ 53% of Kiwis oppose giving the Minister authority to set catch limits for up to 5 years, with 30% 'strongly opposed' - meaning this is not just mild disagreement but genuine, firm opposition.
⚓️ Even among those who voted for NZ First in the last election, 50% oppose setting catch limits for up to 5 years, while only 31% support it.
Why this matters: This shows a clear preference for balanced management and transparent decision-making rather than setting long term catch limits.
Prioritising Economic Factors over the Environment
🐟 59% of Kiwis oppose putting economic interests ahead of environmental considerations when the Minister is making a decision for the future management of a particular fish stock/area, with only 27% supporting such a move.
🐟 NZ First voters show near-identical opposition: 59% are against elevating economic factors over environmental health.
Why this matters: Most New Zealanders, including a significant number of Shane Jones's own party supporters, understand that once our marine environment is compromised, no amount of short-term profit can fix it. |
Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and NZ First MP. Photo from Newsroom. |
From these poll results, it's pretty clear that Shane Jones is working alone, catering to the interests of his commercial fishing friends, rather than standing up for the environment and making decisions in the national interest, as Minister of OCEANS and Fisheries. He's not just defying the broader public; he's undermining the National Party's investment in getting electronic monitoring on commercial fishing vessels to stop wastage. If Jones continues down this path, NZ First risks losing its place in government altogether.
* An online survey was conducted between 20th and 25th February 2025. The sample size is 1,017 adults aged 18+ and is weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, region, and party vote in the 2023 general election to reflect the New Zealand adult population. At a 95% confidence level, the maximum margin of error is ±3.1% overall. |
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Add your voice to the growing number of concerned Kiwis
We urgently need more submissions to send a clear message: these proposals do not have public backing, and they undermine the future of our fisheries. Please encourage your whānau, friends, and colleagues to voice their opposition. The more submissions we have, the harder it is for decision-makers to ignore. Don't moan to your mates at a BBQ, do something tangible. Make a submission and tell the government how you feel. After all, it might be one of the last meaningful submissions you get to make before the law changes.
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What we're fighting against
👉 More decision-making power for commercial operators – The government wants to allow quota owners to voluntarily stockpile catch entitlements instead of reducing catch limits when fish stocks are struggling. That means more fish taken out of the water in the long run, regardless of the state of the fishery. 👉 Weakening environmental protection - The new proposals seek to delay catch reductions in a depleted fishery due to the impacts the cuts might have on commercial fishers. This incentivises overfishing of a depleted fish stock. The health of a fish stock should come first and foremost.
👉 Less monitoring – Remember those onboard cameras that finally started catching commercial fishers throwing fish overboard? The ones that proved reported discards of undersized snapper shot up over 1000% once cameras were live? Yeah, Jones wants to let commercial operators switch them off at times. And if that wasn't bad enough, he's also restricting public access to footage, so we won't even be able to see what's really going on.
👉 More wastage – Under the new proposals, commercial operators would be allowed to toss even more fish overboard. That means more dumping, more high-grading (where only the best fish are kept, and the rest are discarded), and more damage to our fisheries. Since cameras were introduced on some vessels, reported kingfish discards increased by 950%. Snapper? Over 1000%. This is proof that we need stronger rules, not weaker ones.
👉 Locking the public out – Under these changes, Minister Jones wants to set catch limits for up to five years at a time—with only one chance for public consultation. This is a dream scenario for commercial quota holders but a nightmare for sustainability. The government wants to lock in catch limits based on self-reported data from the fishing industry.
These proposals are reckless and short-sighted. They remove critical checks and balances that safeguard our marine environment. With your support, we can show the government that Kiwis won't stand by and let this happen. |
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How to Help:
➞ Forward this email on to friends and family and urge them to stay up to date by signing up to receive LegaSea updates. ➞ Share this on Facebook or other Social Media.
➞ Donate to LegaSea - we're going to need all the help we can stop this!
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