We're opposing the Fisheries Amendment Bill. Here's why it matters.
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Tāngaro Tuia te Ora has submitted in opposition to the Fisheries Amendment Bill 2026. We are calling on the Select Committee to recommend that this Bill not proceed.
This Bill, introduced by Minister Shane Jones, strips environmental protections from how commercial fishing catch limits are set. It locks in catch settings for up to five years with minimal public input. It hides onboard camera footage from the public - the same cameras that revealed dolphin bycatch was 680 times higher than the fishing industry had self-reported.
It will enable more bottom trawling on seamounts - ancient, irreplaceable coral ecosystems that take thousands of years to form.
It weakens protections for depleted species like orange roughy, a deeply vulnerable species. They live for over 100 years and do not reach sexual maturity until they are 20 to 30 years old. Their populations recover from commercial fishing pressure over geological timescales, not human ones. New Zealand's orange roughy stocks were heavily depleted during the 1980s and 1990s and some have never recovered.
Chatham Rise Catch Since 1979-80 to 2023-24
Māui dolphin has approximately 54 individuals left. Hector's dolphin fewer than 15,000. Both face their primary threat from commercial fishing. This Bill increases pressure on the inshore coastal habitats these dolphins depend on, while removing the transparency tools that show us what is actually happening at sea.
Over 27,000 people submitted against these proposals in 2025. They were ignored. The Bill proceeded unchanged and serves private interests at the expense of the marine environment, tangata whenua, and the public. This Committee has an opportunity to stop it.
We urge the Committee to recommend that this Bill not proceed.
Make Your Submission Today The Select Committee deadline is 6 May 2026. If you haven't submitted yet, please do:
