Hook, Line and Blinkers

As his fish bins filled up on another successful raid on the Cook Strait groper fishery, economist and dedicated fisherman Gareth Morgan found himself wondering whether it could possibly be right that he should be allowed to do this. Is it still true, he wondered, that there are plenty more fish in the sea? He resolved to find out.

As his fish bins filled up on another successful raid on the Cook Strait groper fishery, economist and dedicated fisherman Gareth Morgan found himself wondering whether it could possibly be right that he should be allowed to do this. Is it still true, he wondered, that there are plenty more fish in the sea? He resolved to find out. Together with Geoff Simmons, he launched an in-depth investigation into the state of New Zealand’s fisheries resource and our supposedly world-leading management regime. Hook, Line and Blinkers is the result. Fishing is but one of the pressures our oceans face, but it’s one that people – you and me – can readily influence. For it’s not only the fishing industry that must confront the impacts of their fishing on the environment: recreational fishers must face up to our share of issues, too. Meanwhile, if we mean to ensure that there are still fish in the sea tomorrow, we must begin to make ethical choices about what we buy and eat. Hook, Line and Blinkers will change how Kiwis think about fishing, whether you are sitting in Parliament, your dinghy, or at your dinner table.

Dr Gareth Morgan is an economist, public policy analyst, portfolio investor, motorcycle adventurer and philanthropist. Through the Morgan Foundation Gareth has instigated a series of books on issues of public interest. He has also co-authored with his wife Joanne, 5 books on their offshore motorcycle trips, and has written three books on personal investment. See ‘Other Titles’ for more information. His latest project “Our Far South” set out to raise New Zealanders’ awareness of the importance of the area between Stewart Island and the South Pole – the race for resources, the sensitivity of Antarctica to climate change and the threat to biodiversity or our subantarctic islands from overfishing, marine pollution and climate change. This project led on to Gareth’s participation in further conservation projects – Predator Free New Zealand, Million Dollar Mouse, Stewart Island Treasure, and New Zealand’s Cleanest River. Gareth is a shareholder in Welnix, which owns the Wellington Phoenix Football team and part of the Hurricanes rugby franchise. Gareth’s directorships have included a national legal firm, publicly listed companies, advisory boards of government departments, New Zealand’s largest web site auction house TradeMe Ltd, and Leite Verde SA a Brazilian dairy industry business. Gareth graduated from Victoria University with a PhD in economics 1982.