2 weeks Ago By Sam Woolford - Marine
Former chairman of Sealord turned Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones is using his new-found power to propose significant changes to the Fisheries Act, which will impact your fishing future.The 71-page proposal document (which can be found here: https://www.mpi.
govt.nz/consultations/fisheries-reform-proposed-amendments-to-the-fisheries-act-1996) outlines a suite of changes, deceptively branded as a ‘reform’ to cover up the dirty truth Fisheries NZ don’t want you to know – an effort to privatise New Zealand’s fisheries to allow for more fish to be caught and exported. The public and marine environment are once again the losers.
Fisheries reform? Sounds more like a scam to me.We can’t sit back and watch without protest. The team at LegaSea has launched a campaign pushing back against the proposals and we need your help.
Only strong public opposition can stop these changes from becoming legislation. Submission deadline is March 28.Your freedom to successfully fish is under threat.
As soon as next summer, we could see 19 new Marine Protected Areas alongside changes to the Fisheries Act that further restrict your freedom to fish for food. What’s more, your ability to have your voice heard on important fisheries matters could be eroded.The Minister’s plan to reduce “unnecessary regulations” will place more power in the hands of commercial fishing interests.
Allowing them to influence when and how much fish they catch. If it’s considered necessary, FNZ may give us an opportunity to submit once every five years.Since the introduction of cameras onboard commercial fishing vessels, we’ve been given an insight into what’s really happening in our fisheries – the results are damning.
Official Information Act data shows a 46 per cent surge in fish thrown overboard, compared to what was previously reported. So, it’s no surprise that the Minister is now seeking to backtrack on efforts to increase transparency. Proposals include allowing onboard cameras to be turned off at certain times, limiting your ability to access the damning footage.
Don’t want to address the problem of excessive amounts of dead fish thrown overboard? No problem, just change the regulations. To support “commercial fisheries to be more productive”, the Minister wants to allow for more fish discards. A more productive solution would be incentivising the industry to transition to using more selective fishing methods.
The term ‘fast-track’ perfectly encapsulates the proposed changes, focused on removing barriers that protect the marine environment just to gain a few extra dollars from exporting our seafood to foreign dinner plates. These proposals are the first batch of amendments that signal significant changes to our fishing future. Our access to a healthy and abundant fishery is on the line.
Don’t let it be cut.It will take less than five minutes to have your say by scanning the QR code below to fill out LegaSea’s submission form by March 28. We believe all Kiwis deserve a fair go.
Let’s reject the Fisheries Reform Scam and have your say before it’s too late..
