New Zealand to Centralise Fisheries Regulation, Simplify Aquaculture Consent

The New Zealand Parliament is advancing the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, which will replace the Resource Management Act and establish a single national system for fishing and fishery resources. Under the new framework, local councils will lose the power to set fishing rules for activities already governed by the Fisheries Act, eliminating overlapping legislation that has caused uncertainty for recreational, customary, commercial fishers and aquaculture operators. The Fisheries Act’s sustainability requirements remain unchanged, and the national system will still allow local communities to participate in protecting their rohe moana. For open‑ocean aquaculture, the consent process will be streamlined—removing the need to consider natural landscape features beyond three nautical miles offshore—and ministerial decision‑making on space allocation will provide earlier certainty. The transition is expected to be fully operational by 2030, with current council rules remaining in place until then. The changes aim to support New Zealand’s goal of $3 billion in aquaculture revenue by 2035 and to boost economic and employment opportunities while ensuring sustainable fish stocks.