July 30, 2025
Published in The Adventurer Magazine Jack Mackerel – those slippery little fish you chuck on your hook as bait to catch something bigger – are far more important than they’re given credit for. These so-called baitfish are a fundamental food source for larger predatory fish, marine mammals and seabirds. Without them, our coastal ecosystems begin […]
July 30, 2025
Published in Mahurangi Matters. By Sam Woolford “The Ocean is not alive like it used to be 25 yrs ago where we moved from one workup to another”. A comment we often receive from Hauraki Gulf fishers who spend more time chasing the diving seabirds feeding on the schools of baitfish – referred to as […]
June 23, 2025
In the USA June 18 is National Go Fishing Day. We don’t have an equivalent celebration of recreational fishing in New Zealand, but it’s worth considering given that for centuries fishing has contributed to our survival, and our social, economic and cultural wellbeings. Kiwis spend a lot of money and time fishing, and the most […]
June 19, 2025
“Trawling and dredging in the Hauraki Gulf is fine because it’s always been mud.” – Some guy on Facebook. It’s a comment we’ve heard often as a method of deflection from those who – you guessed it – trawl. The Hauraki Gulf was once a thriving, living ecosystem, home to vast beds of green-lipped mussels […]
June 14, 2025
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea have welcomed the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries’ decision to reject proposals for trawl corridors in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, however, both organisations insist the next step must be bold and decisive: a complete ban on all mobile bottom contact fishing methods, including bottom trawling, Danish […]
May 29, 2025
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 […]
May 15, 2025
Published in Mahurangi Matters, May 2025. By Sam Woolford, LegaSea Project Lead. It’s been a roaring start to 2025 – proposals to allow commercial fishing in Highly Protected Areas in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, and reviews of our precious crayfish have kept us busy. The cherry on top is Shane Jones’ proposed changes to […]
April 13, 2025
Published in Mahurangi Matters, April 2025. By Sam Woolford, LegaSea Project Lead. Another summer has come to a close, and I hope you made the most of it, spending time on the water and creating memories with loved ones. Summer is also a time to reflect on how much our coastal marine environment has changed […]
April 11, 2025
Controversial fisheries reforms have generated the biggest public backlash in decades and non-commercial interests are saying their fight doesn’t end here. Around 25,000 people have submitted against a raft of changes to the Fisheries Act, concerned that environmental protections for coastal fish and marine life, built up over time, are being dismantled. Minister for Oceans […]
March 13, 2025
Published in Mahurangi Matters, March 2025. By Sam Woolford, LegaSea Project Lead. Former chairman of Sealord turned Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, is using his newfound power to propose significant changes to the Fisheries Act that will impact your fishing future. The 71-page proposal document outlines a suite of changes, deceptively branded as […]
