I’m back home after another quality Fisheries Management meeting in the metropolis of Auckland.

I need to stress this and I urge every Recreational fisher to be clear.

The Ministry of Fisheries (FNZ) are attacking your rights with the Fisheries Amendment Bill. All of you, not just the Boaties, the Charter fishers etc, all of you. Those that hurl and hope with their $70 surf set from The Warehouse, K Mart or Rebel Sport down to those that dangle a line off the local wharf. ALL OF YOU.

It takes you all out of the equation. It takes the Minister out of the equation and allows FNZ to decide who gets what. The very same Ministry who is responsible for failing Tarakihi, John Dory, Hapuku, Crayfish, Scallops etc. An endless list almost.

Time to dig the heads out of the dunes and stand up. How??? work it out. This is not a post about joining a club but that is a start. One with a voice via the appropriate National Body preferably but I urge you all to take some time to support submissions on this or write to your local MP. Better still, get in their face.

While I am at it, to all of our South Island fishers, “Fish Mainland” is not your friend. They support the Bill. They are all about Mandatory Reporting, Licensing and ultimately “Proportional Allocation”

Currently “The Minister must firstly consider Customary then Recreational before allocating TACC”. The Minister will be gone if this attempt at your rights goes through.

Also to all our Maori rec fishers, the “Tirity o Waitangi” does not exclude you from this. There is a difference between Customary take and Recreationally caught fish. You need to show your indifference to this BS. Do not expect others to do it for you.

There are parts of the FMB that we should be supportive of but the veiled attempt to undermine that which is just and remove our voice on OUR fisheries, along with that of our elected representative, is the type of action we see too often by this Ministry. It must be stopped!!!!!