Shane Jones met Northland sport fishing clubs in Paihia, sitting down with members to discuss marlin management and the broader contribution of the recreational fishing sector. Filming from the Kerikeri Inlet after the meeting, Jones thanked club representatives and confirmed he would take their views on board.
The minister spoke positively about the strength of the sport fishing scene across Northland, pointing to bait suppliers, charter skippers, boatbuilders, and the businesses that rely on a healthy recreational fishery. He described the session as productive and said he valued the opportunity to front up in person with club members.
Jones also drew a sharp contrast with Saturday's protest in Auckland, saying the Paihia discussions were "a thousand percent better." He added that he still did not understand the concerns of those who joined the Harbour Bridge convoy.
Although Jones spoke openly about marlin and expressed clear appreciation for Northland's recreational fishing community, he made no mention of the High Protection Areas (HPAs) in the Hauraki Gulf. Those regulations have continued to frustrate recreational users, particularly because they permit certain commercial fishing activity to continue in waters where recreational fishers have been excluded. For groups campaigning on access and fairness, the HPAs were precisely the issue they had expected the minister to address first.
That omission will not go unnoticed by Auckland and Gulf communities still waiting for a clear explanation of how the HPA framework was shaped and why recreational fishing was restricted while parts of the commercial sector were not.
Jones has indicated he plans to keep meeting recreational fishing representatives around the country. Even so, the absence of any comment on the Gulf means the broader access debate remains unresolved. For many in the sector, that conversation is now more pressing than marlin bycatch rules alone.
