Let Them Fish is a not-for-profit charity aiming to help communities depend less on imported food by re-establishing their connection to the ocean by donating unwanted or unused fishing and diving gear from New Zealand... 

In the remote coastal villages of Polynesia and Melanesia, subsistence fishing is a way of life. It has been for thousands of years. Seafood was the primary source of protein for all within the community. Until recent times, this way of life remained unchecked. Commercial fishing was yet to reach the isolated waters of these islands, while traditional knowledge and techniques ensured the Moana provided a bountiful harvest for all.

Rows of wooden outrigger canoes lined the white sand, coconut palm-fringed beaches. Spears were hand carved from locally sourced timber, tipped with the teeth of reef sharks. Coral bleaching was unknown, and plastic, canned food and pollution had not arrived from overseas.

Fast forward to the village of Sapunaoa on the island of Upolu, Samoa, in 2023. Only three va’a (outriggers) rest on the beach, pulled up above the high tide mark onto the black volcanic rock. The village has tripled in size, yet only one man retains the ability to carve a canoe. In these rural areas, most families depend on remittances from relatives in New Zealand and Australia for survival. Small trade stores out the back of yellow and red houses blast auto-tuned music, the shelves stocked with canned coconut cream from Thailand, corned beef from Australia, tinned mackerel from Indonesian waters and plastic 2kg bags of white rice from Singapore.

The dependency on imported food has become an epidemic in the Pacific Islands, but attitudes are gradually shifting back in the right direction. As former PM of Samoa Tuilaepa Malielegaoi once said: “Our food expresses our intimate relationship with the land, the sea and our ancestors.”

This is where Let Them Fish comes in. A not for profit that gives unwanted or unused fishing and diving gear from New Zealand a second life in the Pacific Islands. We wanted to provide communities at risk of losing their connection to the ocean with the ability to establish food sovereignty and get back on the water – utilising the ocean in the same way their ancestors have through sustainable, subsistence fishing with minimal impact on the marine environment.

Founded by Finn Ross and Max Lichtenstein, Let Them Fish was initially a huge success, providing over 50 villages in Savusavu, Fiji and Vava’u, Tonga, with what they needed to catch a feed for the family. The organisation then went on a hiatus until former biology teacher and journalist Josh McKenzie-Brown came along in 2022 and took over. Originally supplying primarily rods, reels and tackle, the three re-envisioned the organisation to now provide a wide range of freediving gear and water safety equipment, in addition to the quintessential fishing rod. We have since expanded to Samoa, with the support of the IGFA, and are looking for ways to get gear to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

People in the villages that we support don’t fish for fun. They fish for food. Any excess seafood caught can be traded for locally grown produce within the village or gifted to elders. Gear that gets donated in New Zealand not only promotes a healthy, traditional diet and lifestyle, it provides relief to the surrounding marine environment in these remote areas.

Without access to rods or spearguns, many of the villages we’ve worked with were reliant on cheap Chinese-made nylon nets. These indiscriminately capture juvenile reef fish in the mangroves in large numbers, impacting recruitment to the reef and upsetting the delicate tropical ecosystem. If discarded they end up ghost fishing for years, ensnaring a range of species in a floating death trap. Fishermen we’ve talked to admit using bleach, which kills the coral, to enable the capture of fish as they float to the surface. Others use hammers taken off building sites in the evening, smashing up the reef, grabbing morays and other resting species as they flee the destruction and clouds of underwater limestone dust.

Water safety goes hand in hand with harvesting seafood. Children going beyond the calm of lagoon are now wearing life jackets in the villages we support. Let Them Fish is also about community engagement with the ocean. The more individuals that are given the opportunity to view the coral reef right on their doorstep, the better. Without a mask being available, for most villagers the opportunity has never been there. Viewing the reef underwater changes people. It inspires them to respect and protect the ocean in a way that words or movies can’t do. This is why we ensure that we send children’s masks, snorkels, and wetsuits over as well. They might not bring back the giant trevally, but they are the future guardians of these marine resources. What better way to prepare them than developing their appreciation of the ocean.

As part of our commitment to the communities we serve, we encourage village leaders to reflect on their marine resource management upon receipt of the donated gear. Communities that continue to use environmentally destructive fishing practices will be unlikely to be considered in the future.

Donated gear: what we’re looking for

We want rods, reels, masks and snorkels, fins, handlines, hooks and tackle, spearguns, wetsuits, lifejackets, weight belts, dive flags, lures, and replacement and maintenance gear like reel lubricant. We sort through it, ensuring there are no damaged or unusable items. We don’t send gear that promotes unsustainable fishing like nylon nets.

More gear, more islands. To broaden our impact, we are keen to eventually support sustainable subsistence fishing in remote villages all throughout the Pacific Islands. Reach out if you can assist with shipping sponsorship or connect us to a remote community in need. Let us know if you’d like to be set up as a collection/donation point. We don’t have the capacity to expand beyond Auckland as we’re a small team of volunteers and are already receiving large quantities of unused fishing and diving gear.

Current drop-off points

Current drop-off points in Auckland are:

• Westhaven Marina

• Bayswater Marina

• Outboard Boating Club

• Wettie Spearfishing & Wetsuits

• 14 Skippy Patuwai Lane, Glen Innes

You’ll see the blue bin with the Let Them Fish logo on it, or alternatively you can leave the gear at reception.

Many thanks to Kate Hargreaves and Mesui and Selu Kafalava of the Melino moe ‘Ofa charity for their integral role in ensuring all the donated gear reaches these villages.

May 2023 - Josh McKenzie-Brown
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
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