Fishing has been in the spotlight this election. Most parties have released policy on the industry that outlines actions they would like to take if they become part of the next Government. With advance voting now open and Election Day coming up on 7 November, here is a summary of each party’s policies that are relevant to commercial fishing.
National
National's 2026 fishing policy combines increased marine protection with continued commercial and recreational fishing. It proposes new and expanded Hauraki Gulf marine reserves, a ban on commercial fishing in the Gulf's High Protection Areas (HPAs), a review of Gulf trawl corridors, greater protection of the EEZ and seamounts, stronger recreational fishing protections, tougher enforcement and a $20 million fishing-technology fund. Its proposed technology fund is intended partly to reduce seabed contact and bycatch.
It does not propose a nationwide ban on bottom trawling. However, during the first televised TVNZ leaders' debate for the 2026 election, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that he was open to reviewing the issue of a phased ban on bottom trawling.
National will:
Establish a new marine reserve off Waiheke Island and further expand the size of Goat Island/Te Hāwere-a-Maki Marine Reserve.
Support recreational fishers, ensuring fishers have a seat at the table in fishing reforms, ruling out a recreational fishing licence and preventing the commercial sale of marlin.
Ban commercial fishing in Hauraki Gulf’s High Protection Areas and review designated trawl corridors.
Invest in innovation – with a $20 million Fish Tech Innovation Fund.
Increase protection of the EEZ and preserve our seamounts with an aim to increase protected areas from 32% to 50% by 2040.
Keep the ban on shellfish and marine species from rockpools to support the recovery and impose higher penalties and strict enforcement.
Increase the number of Honorary Fisheries Officers to 200.
Increase penalties and infringements for exceeding catch limits.
The Green Party
The Green Party wants to review the Quota Management System (QMS) and shift to ecosystem-based fisheries management. It also wants to give greater support to Māori-led marine management and restoration. It proposes phasing out “destructive fishing methods” including bottom trawling on seamounts, set netting and dredging; it wants to protect at least 30% of New Zealand’s marine environment, as well as a separate 30% target for the Hauraki Gulf.
The Green Party will:
Remove the ring-net fishing exemption from the Gulf's high protection areas.
Phase out bottom trawling, starting with seamounts and ecologically significant areas like the Hauraki Gulf.
Commit to the Hauraki Gulf Forum's goal of protecting 30% of the Gulf by 2030, as part of the Green plan to protect at least 30% of New Zealand's moana (ocean) by reforming marine protected area legislation.
Support iwi and hapū to lead ocean protection in the Gulf by embedding kaitiakitanga Māori in marine management, resourcing iwi and hapū to lead oceans protection mahi.
Increase resourcing for marine biosecurity.
Reduce fisheries bycatch by rolling out cameras on boats and setting fisheries-related mortality limits.
Enabling the Gulf’s fisheries to be managed according to the health of the entire ecosystem by reviewing the Quota Management System.
Stop pollution before it reaches the Gulf by strengthening rules for wastewater discharges and phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
ACT
ACT aims to rebuild fish abundance while keeping commercial and recreational fishing viable. It would create a separate Hauraki Gulf management area, raise fish-stock targets, strengthen penalties, introduce a new combined recreational shellfish limit, and permanently stop scallop dredging in fisheries that are already closed. On bottom trawling, ACT would not ban it nationally; instead it says Fisheries New Zealand should quantify the costs of high-impact methods and adjust existing levies to reflect those costs without increasing the overall levies.
ACT will:
Establish a distinct fisheries management area matching the boundaries of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Address overharvesting of shellfish and other marine life, and stripping of rock pools. ACT would introduce a nationwide combined recreational daily bag limit of 10 for shellfish and other covered species that do not already have their own individual daily limit.
Permanently end scallop dredging in currently closed North Island scallop fisheries and enable selective harvesting technologies as stocks recover.
Require Fisheries New Zealand to quantify the economic and environmental cost of high-impact fishing methods and adjust existing fisheries levies in a way that doesn’t increase them, but ensures they’re proportionate to damage caused. Not all fishing methods impose the same costs. Lower-impact methods may catch the same fish while imposing substantially less damage than bottom trawling and dredging.
Increase and stagger fisheries infringement fees so penalties reflect the seriousness of the offending and provide a genuine deterrent.
Change the way important fisheries are managed, aiming for higher fish stocks and greater abundance rather than treating maximum sustainable yield as the target.
The Opportunity Party (Opportunity)
Opportunity would substantially reform fisheries management around fish abundance and ecosystem health. It would raise fish-stock targets, review the Quota Management System and introduce ecosystem-based management, expand marine protection to 30% of ocean territory by 2035, increase monitoring of commercial fishing and require the industry to contribute more toward marine restoration.
It would phase out bottom trawling in all inshore areas by 2030, immediately close the Hauraki Gulf and some other critically affected inshore areas to bottom-contact fishing, phase it out on all seamounts within three years and on other vulnerable deep-sea features within five years.
Opportunity will:
Transform fisheries management from single-species quotas to ecosystem-based approaches that ensure genuine sustainability.
Manage inshore and offshore fisheries differently.
Invest in blue economy initiatives including sustainable aquaculture, land-based aquaculture, coastal restoration, and marine research.
Create new, fit-for-purpose marine protection tools by replacing the Marine Reserves Act 1971.
Expand marine protected areas from 0.5% to 30% of our ocean territory through science-based, Treaty-consistent, community-led marine spatial planning.
Phase out destructive bottom trawling in all inshore areas by 2030.
Install cameras on all commercial fishing vessels over 8 metres (including the deepwater fleet) to ensure transparency and responsible fishing practice.
Establish integrated ocean governance through a reinstated Ocean Secretariat with cross-agency coordination.
Permanently ban seabed mining in New Zealand waters.
Labour
Labour does not currently have a standalone 2026 fisheries policy published on its official election-policy page. However, Labour has committed to ban bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf. In the first TVNZ leaders' debate, Chris Hipkins said he supported phasing in a ban in other areas. Labour told Revive our Gulf it would stop new areas of bottom trawling on seamounts and other vulnerable ecosystems.
While Labour hasn’t released a full policy, it provided these answers to recreational fishing lobby group LegaSea:
Fish-stock targets: Labour supports managing fisheries for “abundant and healthy fish stocks”. Labour says any change to biomass targets should be based on robust scientific evidence and should support ecosystem health while providing certainty for recreational, customary and commercial users.
Fisheries Amendment Bill 2026: Labour says it does not support the current Bill and would discharge it if elected.
Recreational fishing: Labour supports continued public access to recreational fishing and has “no plans to introduce a recreational fishing licence.”
Quota Management System: Labour supports ongoing reform of fisheries management to improve sustainability, transparency and public confidence. It recognises Treaty obligations, Māori participation and fisheries-settlement commitments.
Bottom trawling, seining and dredging: Labour’s stated position is that it supports stronger protection for sensitive marine habitats and is open to further restrictions on destructive fishing methods where they threaten marine habitats and biodiversity. It says restrictions should be science-based and targeted at vulnerable ecosystems.
New Zealand First
New Zealand First supports the Quota Management System, continued public access to recreational fishing, and a viable commercial seafood industry. It does not support a general phase-out of bottom trawling but accepts targeted restrictions where scientific evidence shows damage to outstanding biodiversity or critical habitats.
New Zealand First does not have a dedicated fishing policy on its website but previous statements have indicated:
Fish-stock targets: NZ First supports rebuilding and maintaining sustainable fish stocks.
Quota Management System: NZ First strongly supports retaining the QMS, describing it as an important resource-management tool that provides long-term incentives for sustainable fisheries, while saying it can still be improved.
Recreational fishing: NZ First supports keeping public fishing outside the QMS and any fixed catch-share regime and says recreational and customary sectors should remain involved in fisheries management.
Recreational licensing: It gives only partial support to that proposition and leaves room for future management changes after engagement with recreational-fishing groups.
Fisheries reform: NZ First supports improving the QMS and continuing to recognise statutory obligations arising from Treaty settlements.
Commercial fishing: NZ First places strong emphasis on maintaining a viable seafood industry, renewing the inshore fishing fleet, improving bycatch management and maintaining regular government-industry engagement.
Te Pāti Māori
Te Pāti Māori supports fisheries reform that recognises Treaty and Fisheries Settlement obligations, and removing trawling, seining and dredging from the inshore zone. It also supports a ban on bottom trawling in its 2026 marine-restoration response, alongside stronger mana whenua-led marine restoration and kaitiakitanga.
Te Pāti Māori doesn’t have a dedicated fishing policy but previous statements have indicated:
Fisheries reform and Māori rights: it supports reforming fisheries management to restore marine abundance and supports the LegaSea proposition involving resource-rental returns while recognising Treaty and Fisheries Settlement obligations to Māori.
Inshore trawling, seining and dredging: it supports removing trawling, seining and dredging from the inshore zone.
Bottom trawling more broadly: in a separate 2026 Hauraki Gulf restoration response, Te Pāti Māori says its fisheries-reform submission supports sustainable fisheries practices “including a ban on bottom-trawling.”
Marine restoration and mana whenua: it supports long-term marine-restoration funding and sustained resourcing for mana whenua-led restoration and kaitiakitanga.
Recreational fishing: it supports keeping public/recreational fishing outside the QMS and any fixed catch-share regime.