As recreational fishers, we can 
recognise that a day’s fishing 
no longer guarantees a feed for 
the whānau. Fishing for scallops 
and crayfish is now off the table 
in some areas and there is a 
proliferation of closed areas as 
mana whenua and communities 
try to address localised depletion 
and rebuild what’s been lost.
As fish become scarcer and fuel 
costs rise, indiscriminate and 
destructive fishing methods such 
as bottom trawling become the 
most economically efficient way to 
fish commercially, as they scoop 
up everything in their path.
Instead of tackling the root 
problem of declining abundance, 
the Minister’s solution is to change 
existing legislation to make it 
easier and cheaper to harvest a 
treasured public resource - our 
fish.  That’s not reform. That’s 
doubling down on failure.
True reform comes from restoring 
abundance. More fish in the water 
means fish will become easier 
and cheaper to catch using more 
selective fishing methods. Fuel 
costs will decrease and outcomes 
improve for everyone, including 
commercial, recreational, and 
customary fishers alike.
REMOVAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL 
SAFEGUARDS
The Fisheries Amendment Bill 
doesn’t just normalise depletion; 
it will make it worse by failing 
to defend fish stocks against 
overexploitation or support the 
ecosystem upon which they depend.
Right now, when a Minister sets 
catch limits, they are legally required 
to consider the full effects of fishing 
on the wider marine environment, 
not just the fish they are targeting.
The proposed amendments 
remove this obligation.
Instead, decisions would be limited 
to a narrow list of “standard factors” 
“Recent Horizon Research 
polling showed that 
more than 50% of New 
Zealanders want the 
Bill to be withdrawn 
immediately to allow 
for more consultation 
with the public.”
Feature
36  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE

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