NZSFC's POD AND REEL Podcast

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Eighteen drownings on one stretch of coast is not “bad luck”. It's a pattern, and it forces a hard question for every land-based fisher and every community that lives near a rock fishing black spot: do we shut access, or do we get serious about safety and behaviour change?

We sit down with Josh Carmine (aquatic safety researcher, Drowning Prevention Aotearoa) and Glyn Morgan (Open Spaces Services Manager, Waikato District Council) to unpack what happens after a near-miss like Baz’s at Papanui Point. Josh breaks down the realities of falling in the drink. We also dig into what the research actually shows on the rocks: who is fishing, why many people are there for mates and adventure, and why perceived confidence can be miles away from real water competence.

Glyn brings the perspective of a land manager, why simply closing sites can push fishers into even more dangerous places, and what layered controls can help instead, from signage and formal tracks to life jacket hubs and better coordination across agencies.

If you care about fishing safety in New Zealand, share this with a mate, subscribe to the NZSFC Pod and Reel Podcast, and leave a review so more people hear it. What’s the one change you think would save the most lives? 
Support the show
This Podcast is brought to you by Hooked on Safety. 
A New Zealand Sport Fishing Council initiative. The Council is a not for profit, incorporated society funded by its member Clubs. 
You can find your nearest club here
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast to receive new episodes weekly! 
If you want to hear more episodes like this please consider supporting the podcast here

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We share Baz’s near-drowning at Papanui Point and the choices that brought him home. We unpack why survival hinged on calm thinking, and how rock fishing can be made safer without losing the sport we love.

• why west coast rock fishing is so risky
• how excitement overrode caution on a big swell
• stripping weight and back-floating to survive
• shock, survivor’s guilt, and mental health
• life jackets, lifebuoys, and tie-off anchor points
• solo missions vs taking a mate
• enforceable rules at known black spots
• closing access vs smarter safety upgrades
• expert context from Drowning Prevention Auckland and Waikato council

Support the show
This Podcast is brought to you by Hooked on Safety. 
A New Zealand Sport Fishing Council initiative. The Council is a not for profit, incorporated society funded by its member Clubs. 
You can find your nearest club here
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast to receive new episodes weekly! 
If you want to hear more episodes like this please consider supporting the podcast here

Send us Fan Mail
What does it feel like to grow up where crayfish once filled wooden sea tanks and kahawai boiled along the beach all year, then watch that richness fade to mud and empty reef? Sitting above Omaha and looking across to Goat Island, we talk with Tī Point local and former commercial fisherman Barry Talkington about how the Hauraki Gulf slid from abundance to scarcity, and how we can turn it around.

Barry takes us from the mail-truck days of sackfuls of crays to the industrialisation of inshore fishing: bottom trawls, heavy gear, and the sediment plumes that flatten shell and sponge habitats into lifeless mud. He explains why marine reserves like Goat Island are “better than outside,” yet still bounded by the health of adjacent waters. We dig into high protection areas, displacement of effort, and the uncomfortable truth that closures often signal failure, not success.

We also lift the lid on the economics. Quota concentration, closed markets, and rent-seeking leave small-scale fishers squeezed and fillets overpriced, while innovation stalls. Barry argues for de‑industrialising inshore waters, preferring static, selective methods, and reforming the Fisheries Act to set higher biomass standards that rebuild abundance across the entire Gulf. That means separating inshore from deepwater management, restoring fair public value through resource rentals, and opening pathways for local, transparent supply from boat to plate.

This conversation is blunt but hopeful. COVID’s quiet showed fish returning when pressure lifted. Clubs are leading with selective gear and stewardship. Councils can tighten runoff and protect the first few hundred metres of intertidal and shallow reef. Most of all, we can choose laws that leave more fish in the water today so our kids inherit thriving reefs, not stories about them. If the Gulf recovers, everyone wins—customary, commercial, and recreational.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a mate, and leave a review with the one change you’d make to restore the Hauraki Gulf. We’re listening.
Support the show
This Podcast is brought to you by Hooked on Safety. 
A New Zealand Sport Fishing Council initiative. The Council is a not for profit, incorporated society funded by its member Clubs. 
You can find your nearest club here
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast to receive new episodes weekly! 
If you want to hear more episodes like this please consider supporting the podcast here

Send us Fan Mail
New Zealand's fishing and boating world is being transformed by women who are taking leadership roles, challenging stereotypes, and creating inclusive spaces for everyone on the water.

• Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club women describe how clubs should focus on fishing opportunities rather than just becoming social drinking venues
• The "Girls in the Bay" fishing competition showcases women's abilities and creates an even playing field for all participants
• Wild Chix explain how they're filling the knowledge gap for women who never had fathers or uncles teach them boating skills
• Coast Guard skipper Sarah Psilas shares essential safety advice including having two forms of communication and proper life jacket use
• The importance of women understanding proper safety protocols to save lives in emergencies
• Lisa Noble describes her journey in fishing competitions and building her fishing gear brand Ocean Obsessed
• Women's fishing competitions foster a supportive environment where participants build each other up rather than focusing solely on competition

To learn more about women's fishing initiatives and upcoming Wild Chix workshops, visit our website at nzsportfishing.org.nz or check out the Wild Chix website for course dates around New Zealand.

Support the show
This Podcast is brought to you by Hooked on Safety. 
A New Zealand Sport Fishing Council initiative. The Council is a not for profit, incorporated society funded by its member Clubs. 
You can find your nearest club here
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast to receive new episodes weekly! 
If you want to hear more episodes like this please consider supporting the podcast here

Send us Fan Mail

New Zealand's maritime landscape is changing as women step into leadership roles on the water, bringing fresh perspectives and challenging outdated assumptions about who belongs at the helm.

• Lisa Noble shares her journey from hairdressing to commercial cray fishing, and charter operating while emphasising how determination matters more than gender
• Sarah Psilas discusses her 10-year Coastguard career and passion for teaching water safety to children across New Zealand
• Wild Chix founder Isabell Zitzelsberger and Shanel Honore explain how they created workshops to teach women boating and fishing skills they'd otherwise never learn
• The Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club team highlights the success of their Girls in the Bay competition and growing female participation
• Hear how women in clubs play a vital role in communities, creating opportunities for learning, mentorship, and giving back
• The importance of wearing life jackets and carrying safety equipment can't be overstated - "Wearing a life jacket has never given anybody a bad day ever"

The NZSFC Pod and Reel podcast is brought to you by the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council with support from Maritime New Zealand and the Safer Boating Forum.

Support the show
This Podcast is brought to you by Hooked on Safety. 
A New Zealand Sport Fishing Council initiative. The Council is a not for profit, incorporated society funded by its member Clubs. 
You can find your nearest club here
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast to receive new episodes weekly! 
If you want to hear more episodes like this please consider supporting the podcast here