Articles

Opito Bay scallop restoration programme – one year on

December 17, 2021 Today we’re celebrating one year since the successful launch of the Coromandel scallop restoration programme. On 17 December 2020 representatives from the Coromandel community, iwi and recreational fishing organisations all stood together at Opito Bay to call for protection of our scallop beds from the destructive practice of scallop dredging. The official launch was marked […]

No more dumping in Hawke’s Bay

December 14, 2021 LegaSea Hawke’s Bay has said an outright no to the proposal by their Regional Council to dump more than 50,000 cubic metres of dredge material onto the foreshore south of Napier. Instead, LegaSea Hawke’s Bay is urging the Council to dispose of the Clive River dredgings on land. And they are not alone in advocating […]

No once over lightly for bag limits

December 14, 2021 A gaping hole in the fishing regulations is about to be plugged to stop the exploitation of vulnerable reef fish and to address community concerns. Conflict arose in Tairua, Coromandel, earlier this year when hundreds of pink maomao were being landed and people realised no bag limits applied. MPI were powerless to respond because the […]

No more destructive fishing in inshore waters

November 24, 2021 The most effective way to improve the long term productivity of our marine environment is to remove destructive fishing techniques such as bottom trawling, scallop dredging, Danish and purse seining from inshore waters. We don’t have to look far to see the benefits of removing bulk harvesting seining and bottom contact fishing methods from inshore […]

Over inflated catch limits

November 23, 2021 The Minister’s recent decision to cut the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for gurnard around the top half of the North Island by 65% is recognition that this was one of the species that was over allocated when TACCs were set in 1986. These allocations are no longer appropriate. Many of those historic TACCs were […]

The QMS. A rotten system

November 21, 2021 Tarakihi and bluenose are important target species for people fishing on the east coast of New Zealand, between Northland to Southland. Having them abundant and available is important for our social and cultural wellbeing, with the added bonus that they taste great when eaten fresh with family and friends. Under the Quota Management System (QMS) […]

Kai Ika newsletter update – Heads Up – Kai Ika filleting re-opens

November 4, 2021 In these crazy times Kai Ika find itself busier than ever. Many Auckland whānau are needing more help than before, evident by the length of the queues waiting for pick up at the marae when kaimoana is available. Thankfully more suppliers are stepping up and we have more food to distribute than ever before.

Biodiversity hot spot on our doorstep

October 27, 2021 The Hauraki Gulf is a biodiversity hot spot. It’s also in trouble, with well-documented declines in fish abundance and unrelenting run-off from urban centres and rural land. Support is growing for more comprehensive protection of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This includes higher protection for marine biodiversity, by banning destructive bottom contact fishing methods such […]

Minister passes first major test

October 21, 2021 It’s a pass mark for the Minister’s fisheries management decisions for the start of the October fishing year and a hurry-up for Fisheries New Zealand to gather vital data over the next 12 months. That pass is only valid if action is taken to do further work. Fisheries New Zealand need to be monitoring the […]

A mixed outcome from scallop ban

October 15, 2021 It’s great to be alongside Ngāti Hei celebrating the Minister’s recent approval for a 2-year rāhui banning all scallop harvesting around the eastern Coromandel until September 2023. On the flip side, it is ominous for the sustainability of other scallop beds that remain open around the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty. People around Omaha, […]