Our fisheries are a public resource. They belong to the people of New Zealand. 

That’s why Opportunity opposes the Fisheries Amendment Bill as unacceptable, unfair and environmentally destructive.

The Bill prioritises immediate commercial profit over long-term marine ecosystem health, the right of Kiwis to enjoy a thriving ocean and much-needed transparency in the seafood sector. The lack of proper public consultation and speed of legislation are further examples of sub-par lawmaking by the coalition of NZ First, National and ACT - and which continues to erode citizens’ trust in government.

The Bill allows commercial fishers to catch and sell undersized juvenile fish, prohibits the public from seeing footage of significant bycatch events and further restricts the ability of the public to challenge fisheries management decisions. It fundamentally changes the balance in fisheries management and takes us further away from the ecosystem-based management approach our ocean needs.

On the minimum size requirements amendment, Opportunity’s position is simple.

Count and land all fish caught (including undersized fish) and ban the sale of undersized fish.

This ensures fishing operators are held accountable for indiscriminate fishing practices and creates a strong economic and social license incentive to avoid undersized catch. No fisher wants to give up valuable hold space for fish they can’t sell and wasting otherwise edible fish (that could be one-day caught legally by Kiwis) would further erode the industry’s social license to operate.

As detailed in our Healthy Oceans policy, Opportunity will manage our fisheries for abundance, and for the benefit of all.