5 June, 2026
Consideration of cutbacks in commercial fishing for a badly collapsed orange roughy fishery announced yesterday by Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones are “too little, too late” says the Council of Outdoor Recreation and underlines the lethargy by both the Minister and Ministry to take immediate needed action
“This is sheer incompetence and a seeming reluctance to stop the plundering by the corporate commercial sector,” said CORANZ chairman Andi Cockroft. “More so because the fishery was reported severely collapsed mid-last year. Twelve months have elapsed since that report.”
Minister Shane Jones announced yesterday (June 4, 2026) that the Government is considering closing the country’s largest orange roughy fishery after a worrying stock assessment found fish numbers were on the verge of collapse.
Last year it was reported by the Ministry of Primary Industries that the population of orange roughy on the East and South Chatham Rise was at 8 to18 percent of its original biomass.
But CORANZ says that move fully twelve months after later is weak, soft.
“It’s and too little and far too late, pointing to a sloth-like belated response.”, said Andi Cockroft.
Over Fished and Depleted
In fishery terms a soft limit of 20 percent of the original biomass and a hard floor limit of 10 percent indicates the extent of depletion.
Fish stocks below the soft limit are deemed to be overfished and depleted, and fish stocks below the hard limit are deemed to be collapsed.
In July, 2025 Deep Sea Conservation Coalition campaign coordinator Karli Thomas described the collapse as a “perfect storm of poor fishery management involving a stock driven to the brink of collapse by overfishing, the loss of key spawning grounds through heavy trawling on seamounts, and the wholesale destruction of ancient coral ecosystems.”
Andi Cockroft said it was probable, given the snail speed of the ministry ability, that well before July 2025, the fishery had already collapsed.
Last year Minister Jones made cuts to the commercial catch limit for the Chatham Rise orange roughy fishery and directed ministry officials to protect orange roughy spawning areas in the fishery “to support on-going recovery.”
Sticking Plaster Approach
However CORANZ likened the 2025 move “to using sticking plaster for a broken leg.”
“There shouldn’t be any commercial fishing during spawning,’ said Andi Cockroft. “It’s killing the goose that lays the golden egg.”
CORANZ said the plundering of the orange roughy fishery was beyond common sense as over-fishing caused the collapse of the fishery in the 1990s.
Orange roughy live to 250 years of age and reach spawning age when 25 to 30 years of age.
“That extreme longevity makes the orange roughy extremely vulnerable to over-fishing. Did the ministry not learn a strong lesson from that collapse, over 30 years ago. The ministry has some slow learners,” said CORANZ.
With such a slow recovery rate due to the orange roughy’s population dynamics of an exceptional longevity and maturity to spawning age, how long to rebuilding stocks to a sustainable level,” said Andi Cockroft.
Shane Jones – Fisheries Minister
Amazed that Jones can think of such a thing – his mates in the industry won’t be happy – then again I just thought – It’s election year time to look electable – then again Jones has never won an election ever so why start now?
Orange Roughy is just the tip of the iceberg. Look at what commercial greed did to the Bluenose fishery – it is now at just 10% of what it once was.
At fault is the Quota Management System designed not for the betterment of the fishery but for the betterment of the corporate fishing companies who donate to politicians and curry favour and who exert pressure on the ministry to obey their bidding.
Frankly it is corrupt and the fishery suffers with heavy over-fishing as shown by successive crashes in the orange roughy fishery.
I am finding it increasingly difficult to have confidence in the Ministry of Fisheries. It is incredible that the ministry was responsible for the orange roughy fishery collapsing in the late 1980s and early 1990s and it has now happened again.
There has been lame ministers of fisheries ever since Labour’s the late Colin Moyle who have been manipulated by ministry bureaucrats. Now there is Shane Jones as minister with very close past associations with the big commercial companies and political donations from the same companies.
Any incoming government after November 7 should have an independent enquiry into the QMS and Minister Shane Jones links with the commercial fishing industry. Is he impartial to give equal consideration to commercial, customary and the recreational public?
Too little, too late. Nothing will change while the greedy commercial interests have their man firmly in place.
Some people are slow to learn Shane
This is another example of the governments inability to manager our fishers, it rip shit and bust, Jones is a prime example of negligence and corruption within the government and the stakeholders in the fishers,
Shane Jones and NZ First’s desire (and they are not of course alone) to see economic development is admirable.
But economic development in the here and now is no good .. if it lays waste to the opportunity for economic prosperity, for future generations.
So there is a key word that must precede the words “economic” and “development”.
It’s a simple word .. but it means so much.
It’s a word that we hear used very often .. but it’s one that is ALWAYS applicable .. so it can never be over-used.
That word is “sustainable”.
We’re not sure it’s a priority for Shane Jones.
Let’s hope that is not his lagacy.
As much as I like Orange Roughy I fully agree with the sentiments of your writer. With the species at only 8-18% of its original biomass it is time for DOC to step in (Just joking. They are too busy poisoning things). Wake up NZ. Your heritage is being plundered.
Will it be our Snapper next ? As that species sure takes a real Hammering ! from Commercial Interests both from NZ & Overseas Trawlers ? Also with the huge influx of Asian Migrants they should be informed on arrival, about the Fishery Rules for both Sea & Fresh Water ? So they can’t plead ignorance when caught offending !