New policy briefs call for a rethink of Aotearoa New Zealand’s freshwater fish future 

Freshwater fish are woven through New Zealand’s history and identity, from tuna and whitebait to trout and salmon. They have sustained whānau, supported cultural practices, underpinned recreational traditions and helped shape local economies.

But according to Fish Futures researchers, the way Aotearoa New Zealand manages freshwater fish has not always reflected the importance of these species to people, communities and ecosystems.

Six recently published Fish Futures policy briefs examine the histories of freshwater fish management in Aotearoa New Zealand, exploring how past decisions have contributed to the challenges now facing freshwater ecosystems, fisheries and the people who depend on them.

Cawthron Institute social scientist Kiely McFarlane says the briefs are designed to help decision-makers, kaitiaki, fishery managers and communities understand how today’s problems developed, and what might need to change. They were co-developed with cultural heritage specialist Ailsa Cain and geographer Marc Tadaki, providing a holistic understanding of New Zealand’s environmental history.

“Freshwater fish management in Aotearoa has been shaped by many different decisions, agencies, laws, values and assumptions over time,” says McFarlane.

“These briefs help show how we arrived at the current situation, where many valued species are threatened or at risk, access to fisheries is uneven, customary fishing has been constrained and some commercial market settings continue to place pressure on vulnerable native species.

“Looking back matters because it helps us see that the current system was not inevitable. It was created through choices, and that means it can be changed.”

The policy brief series, titled ‘Ka mua, ka muri’, explores six connected themes:

• Management of freshwater fish species
• Identities of freshwater fishers
• Changing land use and freshwater fish
• Access to freshwater fishing
• Harvesting and consuming freshwater fish
• Markets for freshwater fish

Together, the briefs show that freshwater fish issues cannot be understood through ecology alone. They are also shaped by cultural values, land-use change, legal rights, social identity, food practices, market incentives and the distribution of power in decision-making.

One brief finds that species management has often focused on particular fish for particular purposes, such as sport fishing, conservation, biosecurity or commercial harvest, but that fragmented approaches have failed to prevent declines in many valued species or uphold Māori fisheries rights as guaranteed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Another brief highlights land-use change as a key driver of freshwater fish decline, showing how habitat loss, water quality degradation and barriers to fish passage have limited the ability of freshwater fish populations to thrive.

The series also explores who has been recognised as a “legitimate” fisher over time, how access to fishing has changed and how harvesting freshwater fish is about much more than consumption.

McFarlane says this wider social and historical lens is critical.

“When people can no longer harvest, prepare, share or gift freshwater fish, the loss is not only ecological. It is also a loss of knowledge, connection, identity and practice,” she says.

“Freshwater fish are part of relationships between people and place. If we want healthier fish populations, we also need to pay attention to the social, cultural and political conditions that allow those relationships to continue.”

The brief on harvesting and consuming freshwater fish emphasises that harvesting is not just about the catch. It includes seasonal knowledge, preparation, preservation, cooking, sharing and the intergenerational transfer of practice. It also warns that declining harvesting opportunities can contribute to the loss of knowledge and identity.

The markets brief examines the different ways freshwater fish are valued and exchanged, from traditional Māori fishing economies grounded in place, reciprocity, barter and hospitality, to monetary markets for species such as tuna and whitebait. It argues that future market settings need to recognise Māori rights and interests, invest in robust fishery data, support place-based management and ensure fair and transparent benefit sharing.

The Fish Futures project aims to improve freshwater ecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand and the lives of people who depend on them. The project brings together mātauranga Māori and Western science, and works with iwi, communities and other stakeholders to support collaborative decision-making, community-based management and healthier freshwater ecosystems.

McFarlane says the briefs are intended to support practical change.

“Our freshwater fish futures depend on decisions being made now. That includes how we manage species, how we restore habitat, how we support customary practice, how we govern access and how we ensure benefits and responsibilities are shared fairly.

“These briefs are not just a record of the past. They are an invitation to learn from it.”

The full Fish Futures policy brief series is available here. 

Acknowledgements

The policy briefs were prepared by Kiely McFarlane (Cawthron Institute), Ailsa Cain (Ngāi Tahu, Kauati Limited) and Marc Tadaki (Lincoln University) as part of Fish Futures, a 5-year research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.