Fisheries Act Amendment Bill with Forest and Bird National Conservation Advocate Bianca Ranson 23rd March, 2026

Last week, Minister for oceans and fisheries, Shane Jones, introduced the Fisheries Act amendment bill to parliament. The bill proposes sweeping changes to the current Fisheries Act including scrapping minimum size limits for the majority of fish species, and introducing penalties for whistleblowers leaking on-board camera footage. 

The bill also ignores thousands of submissions calling for positive environmental changes to the act, such as a ban on bottom trawling. The act’s defenders say the limited market for juvenile fish will financially punish commercial fishers for catching them, and claim the act can unlock commercial fishing's economic potential.

Critics, however, have accused Shane Jones of giving into commercial lobbyists and selling out New Zealand’s enviroment for short term economic gain.

To discuss the changes made in the act and their potential impact on Aotearoa’s oceans producer Thomas talked to Forest and Bird National Conservation Advocate, Bianca Ranson.