The Fisheries Amendment Bill promoted by Minister of Oceans and Fisheries should be dumped says the Council of Outdoor Recreation Association of NZ (CORANZ)

CORANZ chairman Andi Cockroft in a submission said the tenor of the Fisheries Amendment Bill strongly favours commercial and is therefore at odds with the public’s right to a well managed fishery, family cost-of-living crisis and the high price of fish to the NZ family.

“Significant and of concern, especially given the cost of living pressure on families is the exorbitant price of sea fish in shops. Blue cod sells for $75 a kilogram, snapper about $55 a kilogram. Given these high prices, the ability of average to low income families to go and catch a species like kahawai, is very important with the challenges of inflation and constantly increasing cost of living.”

Unaffordable Fish in Shops

Both the Ministry of Fisheries and the Minister of Fisheries should be bringing fish to the New Zealand consumer at an affordable price, i.e. much below current high prices, instead of introducing a bill which strongly favours the commercial sector which is predominantly corporate.

Recreational fishing is important to the public and is a significant contributor to the economy with research showing recreational fishing in New Zealand is a major economic driver, contributing approximately $1.7 billion in total economic activity annually and supporting over 8,000 jobs. With about 1 million participants, the sector generates nearly $1 billion in direct spending.

It also highlights the need to maintain fish stocks at abundant levels.

“Recreational fishing clearly contributes to the national economy while also enabling people to provide for their social, economic and cultural well-beings through fishing,” said Andy Cockroft.

Recreational

Recreational fishing in contrast to commercial fishing, exerts little pressure on fish stocks.

“Significant is that recreational fishing takes just 6 percent of the national catch to feed family and friends. Commercial fishing takes over 90 percent of the landed catch. Of the landed commercial catch, about 90 percent - the best quality - is exported, the balance - not of “best quality” - is for the domestic New Zealand consumer.”

The value of recreational fishing is further enhanced by its asset to the tourist industry. Over 100,000 international tourists fish in New Zealand waters each year, with each spending towards $900. Overseas tourists who come specifically to fish spend towards $3,000 a trip.

The CORANZ submission stressed the value of recreational fishing in terms of well-being to the younger generations.

Teenage Suicide

“Teenagers are in a troubled state of mind, going by the stark statistics of teenage suicide. Outdoor recreation such as fishing, is a positive recreation for young people to exercise, develop confidence and self esteem and escape the internet”.

CORANZ questioned why the Minister Shane Jones and the Ministry of Fisheries is promoting a bill which tends to ignore recreational fishing and instead is designed to make the commercial catches less accountable.

Controversial detail in the Fisheries Amendment Bill centres around no fish minimum size for commercial fishers, cameras on boats and the undemocratic reduction in the public’s right to challenge fisheries management decisions.

Fishery Belongs to Public

CORANZ emphasised the “fishery in total is a public resource and restricting the right to 20-working days is unfair and undemocratic.”

In its submission CORANZ cited the current collapse of the kahawai fishery and a 2025 scientific report revealing over-fishing has put the population of orange roughy on the East and South Chatham Rise at 8-18 percent of its original biomass.

“This is unforgivable as the same ministry made the same gross over-fishing mistake back in the 1980s-90s when the orange roughy fishery was driven to low percentages of its virgin biomass, i.e. as low as 3 percent and other roughy fisheries 15 and 17 percent. It is incomprehensible that the same mistake can be repeated again?

Where is the accountability on that?”

CORANZ said that instead of promoting a pro-commercial fisheries bill, the Minister and government should carry out a credible public inquiry into mismanagement of fisheries which has occurred and into the competency of the ministry.

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