Time's Running Out
Fisheries Amendment Bill submission deadline fast approaching
In March, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones introduced the Fisheries Amendment Bill to Parliament. Part of that proposal – to remove size limits for commercial fishers to allow commercial fishers to keep and sell undersized fish including snapper, trevally and tarakihi – faced such opposition from the public that political leaders were falling over themselves to claim the change as their own.
While that particular suggestion was taken off the table – although the legislation on this has yet to be removed - there are numerous very significant concerns for the future of our oceans if the Bill becomes law. And we have just a few days make our voices heard, as submissions to oppose the Bill must be made before 5pm on Friday April 29th, 2026.
“The minimum size limit was clickbait; the government couldn’t have got that over the line before the election. But realistically, the whole Bill needs to be dropped. It’s extremely flawed,” says LegaSea Project Lead Sam Woolford.
Public opposition
The public has repeatedly made their concerns about the Bill clear. When it was first introduced in February 2025, more than 27,000 people made submissions, mostly rejecting the Bill entirely. In March 2026, when the Bill was announced, thousands more contacted their MPs again to voice their alarm.
There’s no doubt the Bill has drawn strong reactions from both sides. The commercial seafood industry is largely welcoming the changes, with Seafood New Zealand saying the changes represent ‘a practical update that will help keep New Zealand’s fisheries management system responsive, science-based and environmentally robust’.
However, conservation NGOs, including LegaSea, Forest & Bird, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and Greenpeace, and multiple political factions including the Green Party, Labour MP Rachel Boyack, ACT’s Cameron Luxton, and National MPs Grant McCullum and Miles Anderson, are united in their concerns that the Bill will incentivise destructive fishing techniques, tighten secrecy around what actually takes place on the boats, and limit public consultation on future fisheries decisions.
“To put it simply, the Bill will prioritise short-term profits from seafood exports over the sustainability of our fisheries and Kiwis’ opportunity to catch fish to feed our families,” says Sam. “It will do so by removing regulations to allow more fish to be thrown overboard and entrench trawling along our coastline.”
In a nutshell
Other concerns include:
- The Bill seems to favour commercial interests, giving bigger, wealthier fishing companies more control over how much they catch and when they catch it.
- Concerns about Māori/tangata whenua rights: Some iwi and Māori groups say it weakens their customary rights or reduces their role in decision-making.
- Environmental worries: Multiple environmental groups believe it will weaken rules that protect fish stocks and bycatch safeguards.
- Recreational anglers believe the changes will lead to reduced access or fewer fish because of commercial prioritisation.
- Less public influence and transparency: the process and changes reduce community input and oversight, and make it harder for the public to make their voice heard.
Despite what Shane Jones has called ‘noisy voices’ stating their opposition to the Bill, it is now with the Primary Production Select Committee in Parliament, and submissions are open – but only until April 29th. All submissions have to be made via online portals and dedicated consultation web pages, not individually or via local MPs.
What’s the Bill all about?
The Bill essentially seeks to free the commercial fishing industry from a multitude of regulations. Key concerns about the Bill include:
- It will prioritise short-term export profits over public interest, privatising our fish – which is a public resource.
- Reduced transparency. The loss of public access to camera footage limits the public’s input into catch limit changes, and restricts any legal challenges, should they be necessary.
- Lower environmental safeguards. This gives the Minister the power to legalise the dumping of unwanted fish and the catch of undersized fish, while increasing commercial catch limits.
“The Bill seeks to pass control of New Zealand’s fish to a small cartel of quota owners,” explains Sam. “That control must stay with the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries so the public can have a say in the future management of our fish, and so our kids can enjoy abundant fisheries.”
Timing is everything
Naturally, the documentation for the Bill is technical and complex, with plenty of legal language that makes it hard for most people to understand – which is why so many people have grave concerns for the very short consultation period given for people to prepare submissions.
To date, more than 20,000 people have had their say via the LegaSea submission form alone – but for the Bill to be fully eradicated, 50,000 submissions are needed before April 29th. With such a short timeframe allocated for submissions, it’s vital that if you care, you sign, says Sam.
“This is our last opportunity to speak up and stop the changes from becoming law. If we don’t, Kiwis and the marine environment will bear the consequences for generations to come.”
Help us keep the ocean available to everyone
There’s no doubt that the Bill is unpopular, and regular Kiwis are feeling shut out. Impossibly short timelines, and a decrease in the ability for the public to protest, has led to real concerns that New Zealand’s ocean has been ‘put up for sale’ to commercial enterprises over recreational or generational fishers.
Nobody is denying change sometimes needs to happen. But this Bill has more fish hooks than a Talleys fishing fleet, which is why the movement to kill this Bill is growing.
Alternatively, you can make a submission direct to Parliament here.
