The Fisheries Amendment Bill passed its final reading on the 25^th of October 2022.

“In New Zealand, oceans define our way of life – they contribute to our climate and shape this country culturally, recreationally, and economically,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker said. “This Bill will help ensure the continued health and resilience of ocean and coastal eco-systems, and the role of fisheries within that."

Key changes in the Bill include:

• All fish caught, whether they are a Quota Management System species or not, must be reported. All QMS species also must be landed, unless there is an exception set by the Minister.
• Graduated penalties will allow all factors of the offence to be considered to better reflect the consequences of offending.
• There will be a four-year implementation period for reviewing exceptions to the landings and discards rules to ensure that fishers will have time to transition to the new rules.

For further information, please see the Beehive website for the Minister's announcement.