Fisheries Amendment Bill

The Government is proposing a series of updates to the Fisheries Act. While these are being described as “modernising” the industry, they shift the balance of power toward large companies and away from the community and environment.

Our fisheries are a shared taonga, but this Bill treats them primarily as a commercial commodity. We believe that feeding whānau and protecting the moana should come before private profit.

What you might want to comment on

Transparency is being shut down

The Bill would stop the public from accessing on-board camera footage by exempting it from the Official Information Act. In the past, access to this footage has helped hold commercial fishing accountable and highlight issues with the process.

Do you think the public should have the right to access on-board camera footage? What does removing that access mean for accountability in our fisheries?

Barriers to having your say

The Bill sets a strict 20-working-day limit for anyone wanting to challenge a fisheries decision in the High Court.

This is a tiny window of time. It makes it hard for whānau, iwi, or community groups to organise, while large corporations with ready-to-go legal teams will have no trouble meeting that deadline.

Does a 20-working-day limit give communities a fair chance to respond? Who does this timeline actually serve?

Concentration of power

The Minister is given expanded discretion to set and adjust catch limits with fewer checks and reduced environmental obligations, centralising decision-making power away from communities and independent oversight.

Should one person have greater power to set catch limits with less accountability? What safeguards should be in place to protect our moana?

Why this matters now

These changes are being pushed through to drive economic growth — but that growth comes at a high cost to the health of our oceans and the communities that depend on them.

We advocate for a system that puts the environment and people first, ensuring that our moana remains abundant for generations to come.

What does a healthy moana mean to you and your whānau? How might these changes affect your community now and in the future?