https://legasea.co.nz/
For decades he through his superb communication skills has brought together many local and seaside people across NZ to organise and come together - including Maori (mana whenua) - to advocate and campaign to ‘our' NZ government and the fishing industry for a more fairer deal for all people who love to fish. This has in many ways become a battle for the soul of New Zealand’s vast fisheries.
The Supportive Players
NZ Angling and Casting Association
NZ Underwater Association
Yachting NZ
Plus many other clubs that are not affiliated to the sport fishing council - like
The Outboard Boating Club of Auckland.
Since the time of Maori and over the last 250 years with the coming of the European the ability to catch fish off the seashore or in a small boat and bring home food for the family to eat and surplus for neighbours was just a standard neighbourly thing to do. But, Scott says that 'sharing of ones catch is a primary source of self esteem and self worth.'
Saying that this has an important part to play in our mental health as well. Of being part of a community and the sharing of goodwill.
A local Ngāpuhi friend (from Northland) calls taking a bin full of fish to his neighbours as a ‘maximum mana enhancement’ - a situation when driving home after fishing to be able to stop and knock on the door of a kuia and a kaumatua ( wise elder woman leader and wiseman elder leader) - offering them the opportunity to acknowledgement that elder in the spirit of goodwill. A fish (ika) and a gift (taonga) - Scott said he can not over emphasise this cultural importance.
Today this is continued in a very innovative and sharing way https://kaiika.co.nz and https://www.freefishheads.co.nz
This is a sharing and contribution to allow people to receive a fish head or frame that still has a lot of flesh on it, and utilise it for food and a means to not waste any part of the fish.
Called the trifecta of respect …
Respect for the animal - the fish that has given its life - respect for community and fellow man and … self respect and acknowledging that you have done the right thing.
This cooperative initiative is making headway - and over 60,000 kilograms of heads and frames have found their way to homes that want fresh protein
Scott says kudos goes to the Auckland Outdoor Boat Club for being the pilot for this to come into being and taking it seriously whilst committing significant resources to allow this to happen. https://www.obc.co.nz/
He also gives thanks to the Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae Whanau in Mangere, Auckland who’ve made many 100’s of collection trips to make this happen by distributing to families who really appreciate fish heads and need it as the health giving properties of fresh ocean fish are so beneficial.
https://kaiika.co.nz/marae-on-a-mission-reconnecting-the-community-to-healthy-food/
Educating, Learning and Knowing.
Scott says - 'you do not manage fisheries - you manage people’ and to have them better understand what’s at stake and contemplate and consider shifting their attitudes, expectations and behaviours. He says if that is the measure of success - then he feels very comfortable where LegaSea has evolved to on that side of the ledger.
Connecting with the wider community where food, health and goodwill combine together.
Scott acknowledges the leaders of the Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kuri and Ngātiwai who have so generously shared their accumulated knowledge, their Mātauranga (can be defined as 'the knowledge, comprehension, or understanding of everything visible and invisible existing in the universe', and is often used synonymously with wisdom - over numerous generations.
They have taken Scott and friends into their houses - whare and onto their marae - meeting area - over 20 times for overnight stays and 30 to 40 times at specific hui’s or meetings.
They have taken Tauiwi – (people coming from afar) into the Maori realms or the phenomena of Manaakitanga (hospitality), Kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection) and Rangatiratanga (often translated as 'self-determination or sovereignty). These being value systems that drive Te ao Maori (the Maori world view)
That only when one grasps the fundamentals of feeding of the visitor - to manaaki manuhiri - the obligation to take care of guests, do we deepen our understanding. ... listen
All of this effort is driven by a sense of rangitiratanga - an aspiration to lead by example based on inherited knowledge ..
Scott said he is running with this statement - because he and the LegaSea crew are totally committed to restoring abundance of fish in our seas and ensuring future generations get a fair go.
Stating emphatically - There is no conflict in abundance.
The NZ Quota Management Fishing System
Scott now turns his attention to the NZ Fish Stock Quota System that is creating total havoc within our fisheries.
And he mentions that he is hardening up the language in relationship to this kaupapa - ( topic, policy, matter for discussion, plan, purpose, scheme, proposal, agenda, subject, programme, theme, issue, initiative.)
As this present unsustainable fishing program that is overseen by the NZ Government - is leading us all in a race to the bottom.
That we in NZ have somehow or another - sold the lie to the rest of the world that we have some-how the best, world leading fisheries management system - has to be seen for what it is - a gigantic lie.
He said we are on the way to an unavoidable end game ...
Sustainable Depletion - how can we take as much as possible yet still just keep enough fish in the water until next year?
Our hapuka and bass are gone
Our trevali are decimated
Our John Dory, Gurnard and Tarakihi stocks are ridiculously over allocated and yet, unable to be caught.
Deploying Destructive Extraction Technologies
Fishing boats are using the most sophisticated technology that man can devise - with the incredible power of GPS and sonar and military technologies that have been modified and co-opted and used to catch fish by industrial bulk harvesting, indiscriminately. -
He states this is unacceptable.
Trawling technologies seining and dredging especially the trashing of the underwater environment by dragging nets and bottom trawling - scooping up all kinds of sea life. This is destroying coral and other three dimensional elemental ecological life forms growing on the sea bed - in a swath of waste and destruction across huge areas of the sea floor. (Much like how they do it is tropical rainforests with giant chains pulled between massive bulldozers, levelling everything in between).
Then the net is all pulled in and suddenly it's all over - everything is crushed - shattered - nobody is there to count or mourn the loss of mega billions of tiny little underwater creatures - never to see there life out where they are.
Property Rights
Scott says it's because the industry sees property rights is the only way to go. Enabling industry to make decisions - have ‘happy' business - small government - let the market take care of big decisions, everything will be good in the water garden - what a lot of … Listen ...
Global Commons
Tim brought up the words 'global commons' - that oceans actually are part of the global commons - owned by the people - with no one person having ownership of everything. The atmosphere is too plus Antarctica and Space.
The Legal Legasea Fightback
Scott said Legasea has come about over a number of decades - as a result of having put in high quality submissions to Government - including legal submissions to the High Court the Appeal Court and Supreme Court - where the courts agreed with them and their interpretation of the Law. Listen
Legasea’s aim: To take the rights of the sea first and not property rights that the fishing industry covets.
And no matter what Scott and the small guys did to share the abundance and bounty of the ocean - they came up against the same obstacle - this intransigent monopolist, industrial fishing machine.
A hand full of families - that have been granted at no charge the property rights - the quota from back in 1986 - (during the Rogernomics experiment) and more recently Mana whenua - Listen
Within NZ vast fishery area - the 4th largest on earth are over 600 different fisheries spanning 90 plus species - many that are never seen as they are deep water varieties.
He states that under the present regime that property rights are failing globally - so Legasea have developed an alternative system called 'rescue fish.’
He believes that this system has the certainty of rebuilding abundance, creating a healthy inshore commercial fishing fleet, whanau (family) businesses small scale - ‘know your fisherman’ This is going to be the ‘catch cry' - he says you have read it here first.
Know your fisherman - know how that fisherman goes about catching that fish, where, how etc - know what regulations that he must fulfil and then buy that fish of them - and set up a relationship.
It also means that there will be a debt to the government as we will have to buy our own fish back - to buy out of this unfair 'quota management system.' Listen
He also talks to Manuwhenua - and to get them in a far stronger and equitable situation - again - back to the Treaty of Waitangi https://teara.govt.nz/en/treaty-of-waitangi/page-1 - and build up some goodwill. At the very least give them the real rangatiratanga that they never secured under the existing settlement arrangement. Listen
Also Scott talks about having a 50% biomass of fish - this translates to there is always 50% of the fish of every species in the ocean. Present fishing systems are leaving a far lower % of fish in the water hence it is totally non sustainable leading to eventual collapse - Listen
Rahui, Rahui, Rahui,
To put in place a temporary ritual prohibition, closed season, ban, reserve - traditionally a rāhui can be placed on an area, resource or stretch of water as a conservation measure.
Working Alongside Maori
Scott talks of the privilege of staying at a Marae in Waimate North in the Bay of Islands where Ngapuhi are going to do fish management in a far more holistic way - around sharing the abundance … Listen.
To re-emphasise
The quota management system - has failed us - having been based on property rights - that NZ was the first country on earth to do this and it is a failing system for 99% of the country and the people.
By definition it was an experiment - where the corporates ‘cleaned up!
The quota management system is owned by a dozen entities - who are monopolists and they are maximising the ownership and access rights.
(Tim here - Sadly far to much to write up - you will have to listen - astonishing stuff).
Scott tells about the infamous 1990 amendment where no select committee, no proper democratic process through Parliament - very dodgy MP Doug Kidd of the National Party said that the Legislation was a disgrace for Democracy …
Quotas today - they are paying over a million dollars a tonne for the right to harvest 1000 kilos of crayfish per annum.
Now there is also the conflict due to the falling of numbers of Maui dolphin and nets been used and it is really sad and messy - Listen. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1518731841601174/?fref=nf
Plus the weird marriage with the WWF with Stanfords and Moana fisheries - with a rescue plan based on more snapper quota …
https://www.worldwildlife.org
Start Anew
We have to start all over again.
He says delete ‘quotas’ and go back to square one and a blank piece of paper and start again - ask what do we as a society really want?
He says we want responsible people catching fish with a maximum respect - treating every fish in order to achieve maximum value - no more dumping over the side, no more discarding because it was the wrong fish as required by the quota - we want to see fisherman proud of the cameras on board to record the harvest - as well as around the ‘restraints' because its is all about goodwill. Listen
Legacy wanting significant resourcing in the people - simple kaupapa (policy, matter for discussion, plan, purpose, scheme, proposal, agenda, subject, programme, theme, issue, initiative.)
no profit in this - just restored abundance and a fair go for future generations
Controlling the Game
About 10 families for over 50 years they have been plundering the fishery, at no charge, no resource rental, they are given 400,000 tonnes of fish a year from the NZ commons - there is no resource rentals,
They pay a minimal cost recovery levy and for research that tilts the data more in their favour to take more fish as against reducing the take.
Note: Having industry pay for their own research is always slanted in industries favour e.g Genetic modified foods, glyphosate and 5G wireless - so that it has to be always mandated to have ‘independent research.’
He encourages us all to join Legacy so as to support the ordinary fisher folk against the might of big money of the fishing cartel.
Finally - join a club - any club - this is where you can meet people from other walks of life and learn more about society and of the various strands that connect across a broad swathe of the community and society as a whole. Become more knowing.
If you are really capable - join a committee and work for the benefit of a greater organisation or greater whole.
There are very few people in NZ if any who have such a command of communication and knowledge of fishing stocks than Scott Macindoe.
This superb interview of him gives you faith in the future of this country.
This is it until next year, where 2020 vision offers us the opportunity to re-envision where we as a human species - can create and shape a future. A conscious future that benefits all biota and children and grandchildren of tomorrow. This is what we hold dear to ourselves.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from us all at GreenplanetFM.com in Auckland - tucked away around the curve in the South West Pacific in Aotearoa New Zealand - just 4 and a half hours from Antarctica, the vast ‘global commons’ that no country or person owns.
Kia kaha and Aroha.
This easy going, insightful interview of Will, elicits a feeling of knowing that throughout his life experience he has covered, 'both the map and the territory' and having published his remarkable book 'Now or Never' reminds one of Buckminster Fuller - that Will is committed to being a ‘catalytic educator and membrane extender.’
So having evolved out of the flower power generation of the 1960's I ask Will about the town he lives in - Ashland in Oregon that has a general population of about 22,000 people.
A Conscious Community Oriented City.
The reason why Will ended up in Ashland was that 17 years ago he was sitting in a hot tub at the local YMCA and overheard a conversation between some others 'soaking up' that was expanding on quantum physics. He said he learnt so much about the nature of reality in that short 10 minutes he said to himself - this is the town for me.
He says that there are so many people there who are immersed in the study of consciousness - and the network of 'conscious' people never ceases to astound him. That there are many teachers of so many 'disciplines' as well as holistic health professionals - retired diplomats and that there are numerous people who could become very famous, but prefer to remain quietly silent, and just do life, integrating into and being in community.
Many renown authors like, Neil Donald Walsh, (Conversations with God) Gary Zukov (The Seat of the Soul) and Jean Huston (The Search for the Beloved) - live there. That the town has a huge organic food-op that has over 20,000 members - that there are more members than people in the town ... that they are innovative and in the world of today - these people are aware - and as a community they are deeply concerned about the state of the world - they are active as well as 'participate in the community' and at the same time work to bring joy into their lives - other than despair ...
Not only that, Oregon, in which Ashland is situated, is the only state in the US that has a deposit on soft drink bottles and cans ... and Ashland's Police Cars have an insignia on the side stating 'Peace Officer' - not Police Officer - this is very recent ... a rebranding - actually Will says that the Police Chief could easily be at home listening to our conversation and would without doubt keep up with this discussion ... as well as 'contribute a lot to it' - saying that he is a wonderful man.
They have a citizens group that are very active around any abuse or violence in the area - and that do not have much ... there is a lot of attention being put on the homeless issue and poverty. They are a very proactive community and there are people who are retired who have a good amount of money - including giving and a lot of philanthropy and receive a lot of social support within the community.
In many ways Ashland is a 'microcosm' of how we would like it to be in the world.
A view of what is happening across America today.
I asked about the larger story of what's happening across the USA - he said what we are seeing now is the full extent of what is happening behind the scenes - invisibly. It is now out in the open - saying it's not as if corruption has just started - and dishonesty in high places ... manipulation, deceit and lies and all we are seeing - is so obviously out in the open ... that this has been going-on for decades ... and even though a lot of Americans are embarrassed, disgusted, alarmed with what has been happening - they are also grateful that it has now come out in the open where they can now see it and now perhaps have a chance to deal with it.
He said that he had been to a concert that day - and a musical piece had lyrics that were grappling with the turmoil of the world. These rang so clearly to him when they san - "a mind at peace with all below ..."
"a mind at peace with all below ..."
He then said that it's not sanctioning denial - he said that he keeps up with the news and has various sources that he studies every day ... he feels that there is a skill to develop and be able to witness what is going on - and then develop our own activism to help - without having a disturbed mind ...
The Quantum World and how it plays out in our daily life.
Regarding Wills insights into the quantum world - it is really about exploring energy - Listen - sorry - regrettably I do not have time to write this all up.
The observer effect - that at a sub-atomic level - if you are observing a situation - your are also affecting it - listen ... so what you look at - you will influence what you see ....
Also covered is - spiritual bypass and especially anger and rage .... Listen - very illuminating ...
Covering Barbara Marx Hubbard and her statement that today - 'we humans are in the birth canal to another reality or paradigm' ... to find that Will had lived in the same house as Barbara for a year and of the inner growth that took place during this time ... That she was an important world teacher around so many aspects relating to life.
Will talks about our shadow - and the darker side of our nature that has us saying and doing certain things in our life that in so many ways is incongruent with who at heart we truly are ... Listen
He talks about Ursula Le Guin - author of the Earthsea chronicles ... gist ...being frightened and always running from the darkness of our own shadow - and then stopping and taking a courageous stand and facing it. (I won't tell you what happens :))
Covering Anima Munde Latin for - World Soul - we are all connected - Namaste the Hindu greeting - ‘I honour the light behind your eyes - I honour the God (Atman) within you.’
What is the saying - ‘I know where you are coming from’ ... what does that correlate to?
I sense that where you are coming from is basically - in essence ...
Question can we stop what we are doing partly through our day - at any random time and ask the question - ‘how much love do we have for ourselves and the universe/divine as of this moment?’
Can we discipline ourselves to not be caught up in the daily drama of our existence and separate ourselves momentarily and see that we truly are connected to a greater realm that is eternal and that we can be 'present' with?
A recent poll in the USA found that 50% of the people who were polled did not have anyone to confide in. Will found this information heartbreaking. How have we come to this?
He further stated that we, he and I (Tim) were indeed very fortunate that we are surrounded by networks of people whom we could seek solace and share love with, of whatever is concerning us. This is very important.
We have to get back to being 'a human being' and not human doing ...
Will also talks about time travel - and that we are becoming time travellers - being present and then travel in the quantum field. listen
Within the quantum field - Will talks to dreams and the dream field and synchronicities ...
That our reality could actually be a dream just a different type of dream ....
That we are exploring a mystery or even 'the great mystery'
That ultimately Life is a mystery ...
Though a teacher, Will states that he never sees himself as an expert - all he wants to do is draw out the genius that is within all students.
"The purpose of existence is to find out the purpose for existence ..." - comes up as a question that we need to be aware of through out our life.
What is required is 'to culture a field that inspires the genius to come out in everyone who is there ...'
To be able to listen
To be very good listeners - Will talks to this - we have to be able to listen and show our intent to learn from the young ones.
"Noon day club" - pausing every day at noon for a short prayer or a mini meditation.
Will encourages us to set our smart phone alarm at 12 noon to give us a friendly reminder to remember who we are and that to give thanks and for-want of a better word, offer a blessing to the world.
This idea has been around for a while - but is has somewhat tapered off and Will is resurrecting it again as a centering mechanism or a homing ...
He said more and more people are setting there smart phones for noon and when the alarm goes off - are taking time out to refocus ...
Some people have a little declaration.
Wills is - "This is the moment - something wonderful is happening - I am creating the future with love ..."
He says this silently to himself, however if he is with someone and if they are willing - he says it out loud.
It is just to share a few moments of silence together and to feel ones energy broadcasting into mass consciousness.
Wills intention is to have millions of people to do this at noon every day around our planet in every time zone when the sun is at its zenith.
So that we get a pulsation of energy ...
And Will feels confident this can make a difference.
We all need to slow down to the speed of life - Life is not frantic ...
Simply slow down and enjoy being alive ...
And remember 12 noon ...
Thus was a wonderful relaxed interplay. Will is a very easy to relate to having a vast life experience of teaching, writing and conversing with people from all walks of life. Being gregarious and amenable - he is committed to our world, its people and especially the children of today and tomorrow.
You can bring peace on earth, in one minute a day. Join the Noon Club.
Know that Love makes life worthwhile.
Imagine a life without love. Sadly, so many people feel a despairing lack of love, even some who are successful and surrounded by friends. Over 50% of Americans report they have no one they can confide in. 25% live alone. An epidemic of loneliness is sweeping the world, spiking suicide rates.
What can we do about that?
We can discover and begin using a secret weapon that we already possess. “Weapon,” of course, is the wrong word. Let’s call it a secret super power. I won’t make you wade through twenty torturous paragraphs before I reveal what it is (while trying to sell you something along the way … don’t you loathe that website technique?).
We can express love.
This is a massive subject and will be the topic of an ongoing series of articles I’ll pen over the remaining weeks of 2019. You’ll receive them as part of your free subscription to The Noon Club. My objective? To educate you in what I’ve come to believe is the most effective technique for bringing deep, positive change into the world, benefiting ourselves in the process.
Education is one thing, application is another. As you read, you’ll also be experiencing the three-phase learning process I’ve discovered for translating new understanding into new action. Ultimately, unless we act on what we learn we’re just swelling our heads.
So, how can we help those who desperately want more love in their lives? This brings us to our first lesson in love and from this point forward I’ll use the “you” voice because I want this to be a real conversation between us, rather than a theoretical discussion about a vague “we.” So, pour yourself a cup of tea, settle back in your chair, and enjoy this deep dive for the next 5 minutes or so.