A Horizon Research poll of 1000 New Zealanders, released ahead of submissions closing, has put hard figures on what many already suspected. More than half of those surveyed oppose giving the Minister the power to set catch limits without weighing up environmental impacts. Close to two thirds oppose reducing financial penalties for vessels that exceed legal catch limits. And 53 percent believe the government should withdraw the Bill entirely to allow proper public consultation.
Submissions on the Fisheries Amendment Bill closed at 11.59pm on Wednesday 6 May via the Parliamentary website, making the poll's release a final rallying point for those yet to have their say.
The numbers arrived alongside a submission response that has been anything but quiet. More than 30,000 people submitted through LegaSea's online template, and thousands of emails were sent directly to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and MPs in the lead-up to the Bill's first reading on 31 March.
Matt Watson, who has driven much of the social media opposition, described the mood he has encountered. "For years there has been a slow build-up of frustration over fish dumping, over-fishing and bottom trawling, as we've all seen the fish stocks decline. But the Fisheries Amendment Bill has amplified frustration into outrage and it's now the first thing people ask me about wherever I go."
Watson made no apology for the intensity of the response. "I'm bloody proud to see so many people taking a stand and making it their number one election issue. This isn't a case of it blowing over. It won't. People really understand how important it is to stop the big seafood companies taking control of our fisheries."
Darren Shields, NZ spearfishing champion and owner of underwater gear brand Wettie, has spent 40 years in the industry. His assessment of what is at stake commercially is blunt: "No fish. No jobs. No industry. The more we lose fish, the greater the impact on retailers and our employees." The concern runs deeper than economics. "It's time we stopped destroying the marine habitat otherwise our kids won't have anything to see when they go snorkelling or diving. It's the Bill that needs to die, not our marine environment."
Scott Macindoe, President of the NZ Sport Fishing Council and LegaSea spokesperson, frames the issue as one of fundamental principle. "The Bill guts the most important objective of fisheries management, which is managing New Zealand's fisheries in the interests of future generations." Public pressure produced one concession, with Fisheries Minister Shane Jones removing provisions that would have permitted the catching and selling of undersized fish. Macindoe is clear that the core problems remain. "The deeper you dive into the Bill the worse it gets."
Among the provisions still in the Bill: a $50,000 fine for anyone who leaks fishing vessel camera footage to the public, restrictions on the public's ability to challenge ministerial decisions through the courts, and limits on future public consultation on fisheries decisions.
The poll also found that 62 percent of New Zealanders support a government plan to transition the fishing industry away from bottom trawling toward lower-impact methods, with the strongest support coming from ACT and National voters.
