Shane Jones’ Fisheries Amendment Bill has triggered a furious backlash from recreational fishers, environmental campaigners and ocean advocates after proposals that would have removed minimum size rules for commercial catches, limited public consultation and restricted access to on-board camera footage. Even after the Government backed down on the undersized fish proposal, critics say the bill remains a handout to corporate fishing interests.
Matt Watson is a fishing god bloke.
His defence and promotion of our oceans is real. He is unpretentious and he is passionate.
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When he has problems with fishing policy, you listen!
When he has concerns about our environment, you listen.
You cross swords with him at your peril and Shane Jones, who is nothing but an environmental vandal who is a pimp for the Corporate Fishing and Mining Industry has been smashed in the face and forced into a backdown…
The Government has backed down on a controversial proposal to amend the Fisheries Act to remove minimum size limits for commercial fishers – and two sides of the coalition are claiming credit.
For many popular fish species, the Fisheries Amendment Bill would have allowed commercial fishers to sell undersized fish.
Winston Peters and Christopher Luxon released near identical statements on social media minutes apart both claiming they’d spoken to Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and killed this part of the bill.
It has been subject to strong protest, particularly from recreational fishers who argued the changes would have a detrimental effect on future populations.
NZ Stuff
…Shane’s attempt to allow corporate fishing to sell undersized fish has been killed off by Winston who has appreciated that the Recreational Fishing lobby, a group NZ First are terrified of offending, are too big to beat and he must back down while glossing over how bad the rest of the policy remains.
Why critics say the Fisheries Amendment Bill is still dangerous
Greenpeace says the coalition government’s removal of one item in NZ First’s ‘ocean exploitation bill’ is not enough to satisfy public outcry, with the organisation calling for the bill to be rejected in its entirety.
On Wednesday PM Christopher Luxon announced that after listening to concerns about the Fisheries Amendment Bill, sections that scrapped minimum fish size requirements for commercial operators will be removed. Greenpeace says no one is fooled by this small concession.
Oceans lead Ellie Hooper says: “All the Prime Minister and coalition partners have done is remove one aspect of this bonfire of a bill. But the scales have fallen from everyone’s eyes on this.
“The bill, even with the size requirements removed, remains a hand out to the commercial fishing industry, who Jones advocates for. It incentivises the worst types of fishing – unselective bottom trawling – the impacts of which are being felt increasingly by all.
“It’s clear the ocean is depleted and it’s harder to go out and catch a fish. We’ve got crashed populations, and ocean habitats are struggling. Incentivising trawling, which destroys the ocean and takes too many fish out of the sea, is not going to fly with the New Zealand public.”
The bill contains proposals to limit public consultation on fisheries decisions and blocks public access to the footage from cameras on boats. Anyone who shares or publishes this footage could face a fine of up to $50,000.
Hooper points out that without public access to cameras on boats footage, mistrust in the commercial fishing industry will only continue to grow.
“New Zealanders have a right to know how the fishing industry is impacting ocean health. What should be abundantly clear to the Prime Minister and all the politicians in an election year is that the public cares deeply about what happens out at sea. And there are more of them in the voting population than commercial fishing bosses.
“A transparent industry that boasts their world-leading fisheries management, wouldn’t need these cover ups,” says Hooper. “It just looks like they’re trying to hide the plain facts of their activities, from hauling up coral to killing fur seals and dolphins as bycatch.”
In a statement on social media today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrote he wanted to ensure “our kids and grandkids have abundant fisheries for the decades to come”.
“If the Prime Minister stands by this statement, then the amendment bill has got to go.” says Hooper. “Not to select committee, not for tiny tweaks – but be voted down by politicians with a backbone who want to actually represent the vast numbers of New Zealanders opposing it.
“The coalition government may have collective amnesia on this bill but the ocean community doesn’t. The amendments have been, and continue to be rejected – that includes proposals to lock up cameras on boats, incentivise trawling, and erode the public’s right to have a say. The fish bone they’ve thrown us is nowhere near enough.”
GREENPEACE
This bill was never just about undersized fish
…let me just get this completely fucking straight.
Shane Jones, who is a pimp for the corporate fishing industry will limit you the recreational fishers from public consultation on fisheries decisions WHILE blocking public access to the footage from cameras on boats.
It even goes so far as to make anyone publishing footage of fishing ships abusing their catch with a $50,000 punishment!!!!
Did you read that?
Shane is blocking your access to decisions, he is enabling more destructive bottom trawling and he will blind us from making sure Corporate Fishing are doing the right thing by blocking public access to the camera footage WHILE threatening a $50,000 fine to anyone who publishes footage of corporate fishing abusing their catch limits!
The undersized fishing issue is only part of why this bill is so awful!
The law should be protecting the environment – not the exploiters!
If we had a functioning Fourth Estate, you would know this.
Matt Watson tapped into a wider public anger
All power to Fishing God Bloke Matt Watson!
Because this was never only about undersized fish. It was about who the law is written for: the public, future fish stocks and ocean health, or the corporate fishing interests Shane Jones keeps fronting for. Matt Watson helped force attention onto the issue, but the wider fight over bottom trawling, public scrutiny and who gets a say over our fisheries is far from over.
The disgust in which Jones attacked Watson personally was evidence that Watson was correct. Jones has been made to look a fool, again and again. He also appears to have put on a lot of weight on the back of a bloated donors buffet no doubt.
Just about every Kiwi, who has an interst in the outdoors and fishing knows who Matt Watson is…his breadth of fishing knowledge is undeniable….
Would you not think, that a sensible thing to do, would have been to pick up the phone and ask if he would mind having a chat so as to garner his wisdom and knowledge on the matter.
But no!…big belly God Syndrome Jones blusters out his new loopy idea…weak Luxon goes…”Yeah ok Jonesy…what ever you want to do….just keep those corporates sweet… yeah… great work Jonesy”.
Two days later…with incomptence fully on display…face plant back down.
Bills, bills and more bills- you’d think the likes of ‘cowboy’ Jones would have learnt by now. It wouldn’t be so bad if this CoC actually researched the content thoroughly, put it out for discussion, and once fine-tuned, brought it in. Oh no not these arrogant ‘up themselves’ wannabes! NZers have a right to know FULL details about ALL changes to current policies way before they are implemented. More haste, less speed. So many of this CoCs ‘bills’ will need to be rescinded due to the massive errors and misinformation in them.
The disgust in which Jones attacked Watson personally was evidence that Watson was correct. Jones has been made to look a fool, again and again. He also appears to have put on a lot of weight on the back of a bloated donors buffet no doubt.
Just about every Kiwi, who has an interst in the outdoors and fishing knows who Matt Watson is…his breadth of fishing knowledge is undeniable….
Would you not think, that a sensible thing to do, would have been to pick up the phone and ask if he would mind having a chat so as to garner his wisdom and knowledge on the matter.
But no!…big belly God Syndrome Jones blusters out his new loopy idea…weak Luxon goes…”Yeah ok Jonesy…what ever you want to do….just keep those corporates sweet… yeah… great work Jonesy”.
Two days later…with incomptence fully on display…face plant back down.
And yet.. the deluded will still vote for them.
Bills, bills and more bills- you’d think the likes of ‘cowboy’ Jones would have learnt by now. It wouldn’t be so bad if this CoC actually researched the content thoroughly, put it out for discussion, and once fine-tuned, brought it in. Oh no not these arrogant ‘up themselves’ wannabes! NZers have a right to know FULL details about ALL changes to current policies way before they are implemented. More haste, less speed. So many of this CoCs ‘bills’ will need to be rescinded due to the massive errors and misinformation in them.