LegaSea
Who are we?
Our team has been working to restore the health and abundance of Aotearoa’s marine environment for the last 20 years.
LegaSea is a subsidiary of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. Together we have invested almost a million dollars to date in developing a viable alternative to the Quota Management System – the Rescue Fish policy.
LegaSea
LegaSea is a not for profit organisation established by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council in 2012. LegaSea’s core roles are to elevate public awareness of the issues affecting the marine environment and to inspire public support to effect positive change.
The team’s collective vision is to restore New Zealand’s coastal fisheries for the benefit of current and future generations.
It is the passion and drive of people that make LegaSea possible. The LegaSea team is a mix of contractors and volunteers. Overseeing all the work is a Governance Advisory Committee appointed by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. This Committee provides LegaSea with the necessary leadership and guidance so the team can get on with doing the work.
A major focus is on working with a growing list of organisations who align with the kaupapa, the agenda, of more fish in the sea. From 2005 members of our team have worked with the Hokianga Accord, northern iwi and hapū, commercial and non-commercial fishing and environmental interests, to better understand the needs of mana whenua.
Other aligned organisations include Yachting New Zealand, the New Zealand Underwater Association and the New Zealand Angling & Casting Association. These groups and their people brings skills and knowledge that broaden the discussions to encompass rebuilding depleted fish stocks and restoring biodiversity to New Zealand’s coastal waters.
LegaSea would not succeed without the support of Platinum, Gold and other partners who believe in the vision of restoring our coastal fisheries.
Our Platinum partners:
New Zealand Sport Fishing Council
The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is an incorporated society established in 1959. The Council has 55 clubs with 36,200 affiliated members nationwide. A key role of the Council is to advocate for responsible and sustainable management of New Zealand’s marine resources. To achieve its goals the Council funds education initiatives, commissions and funds relevant research projects, and participates in and contributes to fisheries management decisions. Between 2004 and 2009 the Council was instrumental in the Kahawai Legal Challenge, judicial proceedings highlighting the need for more conservative management of marine resources under the Fisheries Act 1996.
The Council was originally called the New Zealand Big Game Fishing Council. Over time the membership base has broadened to include wider interests in a healthy marine environment. The Council was a founding supporter of the Hokianga Accord, the mid north iwi fisheries forum. The Council has been a regular contributor and participant in Accord’s 18 overnight hui held throughout Te Tai Tokerau.
In 2012 the Council initiated LegaSea to broaden the Council’s involvement in marine management advocacy, research, education and alignment on behalf of its members and LegaSea supporters. The Fisheries Management Annual Reports provide updates on work completed and future prospects.
Our history
From August 2000 until September 2011 option4 held the line as several attempts were made to integrate public fishing interests into the Quota Management System. The option4 group formed in mid-2000 as a response to the Government’s first attempt at integration. option4 developed an affordable, workable solution to the issues raised in the Government’s proposed three options. Over 100,000 people responded, setting a new record of public engagement in resource management in New Zealand. In September 2011 option4 integrated with the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council to ensure there was continuity in advocacy.
Since 2005 the Hokianga Accord has brought together the commercial and non-commercial interests of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, northern iwi and hapū, environmental and fishing groups including Greenpeace, LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. The Accord has hosted 18 overnight hui and numerous ‘short lineout’ hui since 2005. The common objective is more fish in the water ‘kia maha atu nga ika ki roto i te wai’.