The Fisheries Amendment Bill has now had its first reading in Parliament. We are looking ahead to the select committee process, which is an important opportunity for fishers and other members of industry to have their say directly with decision-makers. We strongly encourage everyone in the industry to submit, and we will share more information shortly on how to do this.

There’s been a lot of noise and misinformation circulating about our industry recently online and in the media particularly.

Please know we are actively responding to this misinformation wherever we can – saying “yes” to media queries, engaging with journalists, correcting inaccuracies and misconceptions, and working on a broader effort to tell the real story of our sector, particularly as we are in an election year.

We know this kind of attention isn’t easy. It’s important we all stay calm and keep a level head. While some of the commentary can feel personal and malicious, it also indicates how important our industry is to New Zealand – and how easily misinformation can spread generally.

You can help by supporting our social media (NZFCF / SeafoodNZ) – liking, sharing, and positively engaging with our posts so that accurate information reaches more people. We’re ramping our activity up, and your support will make a real difference.

We’ve also been active in mainstream media, although that work isn’t always visible. You can see some recent coverage where industry has featured here: https://www.seafood.co.nz/news-and-events/in-the-media

Alongside this, we continue to engage with politicians and decision-makers to ensure they understand the value of our industry and the reality of how we operate.

We work in small teams (no massive PR teams here!), so we really appreciate your support in helping amplify our work and messages.

Most importantly, we’re thinking of you.  

If you have any questions about the Bill, or anything you’re seeing or hearing out there, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

And if things are feeling tough, mental health support is available through FirstMate, which provides free, confidential support and guidance for people across the seafood sector.

Ngā mihi,

The New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen
and Seafood New Zealand