Latest updates


The Bill is on Ice – but we’re left with a failing system

June 30, 2026 The controversial Fisheries Amendment Bill has been put on ice. In June, Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, announced that the Bill will not be progressed by the current government. After months of public pressure and more than 33,000 submissions to Parliament’s Select Committee, common sense has prevailed. For now. This outcome belongs to ... Read more.

It’s not too late to restore our rockpools

June 30, 2026 Article originally published in Mahurangi Matters, June 2026 Rockpools are being stripped bare. Our intertidal coastline is under growing pressure, and we can no longer ignore the damage. Local communities, including Whangapāroa, have genuine concerns about the ongoing depletion of rocky shore species such as limpets, cat’s eyes, whelks, and periwinkles. It’s not too late ... Read more.

Barren rockpools demand bold action

June 30, 2026 Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, June 2026. Fisheries New Zealand is proposing major new restrictions on recreational harvesting of shellfish and invertebrates along Auckland’s east and west coast and the Coromandel coastline. If implemented, the closures will affect our ability to gather kaimoana such as cockles, kina and pāua from rocky shores ... Read more.

MEDIA RELEASE: Fisheries Amendment Bill put on ice

June 18, 2026 The controversial Fisheries Amendment Bill has been put on ice and will not be progressed by the current government.  “This is an incredible victory for New Zealand’s fisheries, our marine environment, and the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who refused to be ignored”, Said Scott Macindoe, President of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. ... Read more.

Celebrating National Kahawai Day 2026

May 28, 2026 May 28 is National Kahawai Day – a day to celebrate one of New Zealand’s most iconic and accessible fish. For generations, kahawai has been the people’s fish. It’s the fish of summer holidays, surfcasting with the kids, early mornings with grandparents, and the unmistakable smell of fresh kahawai cooking after a day on the ... Read more.

LegaSea Newsletter #188 – Minister exposes government’s underbelly

May 27, 2026 The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries walking into Parliament yesterday, proudly brandishing a gifted, gasping crayfish, wasn’t the flex he thought it was. It demonstrated how disconnected this government is from everyday New Zealanders. For many of us, gathering kaimoana to feed our families and friends is becoming harder every year.

The Bill is not dead…Yet

May 6, 2026 Article originally published in Fishing in Godzone magazine, May 2026 What do we want? To kill the Fisheries Amendment Bill. When do we want it? Now. In April and May, more than 30,000 concerned Kiwis made their submission opposing the Bill. “Corrupt”, “rotten” and “shocking” were just some of the words that were used to ... Read more.