Marine – Gulf needs bold leadership

Getting on, under or near the water quiets the everyday noise of life. For many of us, the Hauraki Gulf is filled with memories of early mornings learning to fish. It’s a place so precious to us all, yet it has been seriously degraded.

So, when our ability to access a healthy marine environment is put at risk, our community has been actively pushing back. The recent peaceful protest at Army Bay is an example of our community activating on behalf of the fish. Now, fisheries is becoming a political flashpoint.

The National Party has offered a glimpse into their 2026 Oceans and Fisheries Policy, nine months ahead of the election. Under pressure, National appears to be back peddling on proposals they originally supported.

In February, National announced it would reverse the decision to allow five commercial ringnet (gill-net) fishers to target select species within Highly Protected Areas (HPAs) surrounding Kawau Bay, Rangitoto and Motatapu Islands. This announcement seems odd considering National had the opportunity to oppose this decision during Parliamentary debates last year. While reversing this decision would uphold the original intent of the HPAs in an attempt to calm public outrage, removing a handful of gill net fishing operators is not enough to rebuild abundance in the Gulf.

National also signalled that it would consider revisiting proposals to restrict bottom trawling to defined ‘corridors’ proposals within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This comes after the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones rejected the proposals last year.

Considering 75 per cent of New Zealanders support a transition away from bottom trawling to more selective fishing methods, it’s a politically savvy move. But minor restrictions to trawling in just a couple areas will not rebuild fish stocks. Without a broader plan, fishing effort will simply shift elsewhere.
We need bold leadership that prioritises the marine environment and public interests. This would look like a Ministerial decision to support commercial fishers transitioning away from bottom trawling in coastal waters between North Cape and Cape Runaway, known as Fisheries Management Area 1.

Commercial catch limits for popular species such as snapper, trevally, kahawai and kingfish apply across this entire coastline. So, if bottom trawling is only restricted within the Hauraki Gulf, fishers can simply shift their effort to neighbouring waters in Northland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty to catch their quota. This is displacement. It does not solve the problem.

And it’s not about being anti-commercial fishing. It’s about ensuring we have more fish in the water for future generations by saying no to the real issue of, indiscriminate, bulk harvesting fishing methods destroying the habitat needed to support marine life.

Utilisation must be balanced with sustainability. If we continue to erode the productivity of our marine ecosystems, everyone loses out – coastal communities, the commercial fishing industry and our future generations.

The LegaSea team will continue engaging with political parties on policies that prioritise long-term abundance and a fair go for future generations.

LegaSea was established in 2012 by the NZ Sport Fishing Council to elevate public awareness of relevant issues and inspire people to make a contribution to help support our advocacy. Subscribe to our newsletters here: https://legasea.co.nz/support-us/sign-up-2/