National’s plan for healthy fisheries

The health of our ocean matters to every New Zealander. It is part of who we are, provides us food, recreation, well-being, and a place for families and communities to connect.

We must strike the balance between environmental, recreational, customary and commercial interests and look after the long-term health of the whole ocean. We need to understand the asset, manage it well, and hand it on to future generations in better condition than we found it.

We want fish stocks managed at healthy and abundant levels, not simply kept above minimum sustainability limits. Our decisions will be guided by the best available science, data and evidence, while upholding property rights and the Crown's Treaty settlement obligations. Commercial and recreational interests must be balanced in a way that protects this asset for those who come after us.