Fisheries – MIL-OSI Export

March 24, 2026

Our Changing World: The tree keepers

Aaron Hewson has been studying the genetics of the trees in the orchard. RNZ / Claire Concannon

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The lines of apple trees look lush and healthy, some garlanded with a heavy crop of coloured orbs – greens, bright reds, yellow-striped. For some, the variety is apparent even on the same tree, hosting, as these trees are, two to three different apple cultivars.

And keeping this variety alive is the whole point of this orchard.

The Jim Dunckley Heritage Orchard

Ann Dunckley remembers her dad stopping to look at apple trees at the side of the road or in old orchards when they were out and about. “He liked apples,” she says, “And he was worried about the fact that the old ones were disappearing, old farm orchards were being bulldozed.”

Jim was a founding member of the Coastal Otago Branch of the New Zealand Tree Crops Association and, along with friend Paul Snyder, he started collecting different varieties of apple trees in the 1990s.

Unfortunately, Jim has passed away but the orchard lives on, having moved to a site near Mount Cargill just outside of Dunedin city, in the early 2000s.

Ann Dunckley’s father Jim established the heritage orchard, and Paul Snyder helped him to gather trees from around Otago. RNZ / Claire Concannon

Here, neat rows of about 300 root stock apple trees have different cultivars, or varieties, grafted on to them. The root stock trees are clones, chosen for their growth and disease resistance characteristics. Each cultivar is also a clone grafted on, to maintain its genetics.

The idea is that the orchard acts like a living library. New growth or scion wood can be harvested off these trees, stored over winter and then grafted on to new root stock trees to replicate the cultivar.

However, across time, notes and labels were misplaced and uncertainty about the varieties crept in.

It was a chance encounter on an orchard open day that would provide the solution.

The Jim Dunckley Heritage Orchard in Dunedin RNZ / Claire Concannon

Science to the rescue

It was their first orchard open day in 2023 that kicked it all off, says Donal Ferguson. Until recently Donal was the chair of the Coastal Otago Branch of the New Zealand Tree Crops Association. Associate Professor Lynette Brownfield from the University of Otago’s Biochemistry department came along and when she learned about the identification problem, she offered up a solution – genetic testing.

Masters student Aaron Hewson was given the task. Starting with 336 leaf samples, he used genetic analysis to compare the varieties in the orchard to those in the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s heritage orchard records. Some of them matched genetically, but were labelled differently, so he was forced to go further afield.

Luckily there has been a lot of work overseas looking into heritage apples, including compiling genetic and physical trait databases. Aaron was able to use these as a “gold standard” reference to compare his samples against.

To the team’s surprise, 80 percent of the samples matched with apple tree cultivars in this database and some of them were duplicates.

The remaining 20 percent are likely seedlings, says Aaron. While grafting an apple tree creates a clone that is genetically identical, it is quite different if you grow a tree from seed, says Aaron. “They’re quite a genetically diverse species. So, if you cross any two apples together and get a seed, it’s going to look very different to the parents. It’s going to be a random mix up.”

It’s a bit trickier to identify seedlings then, because that means working backwards to figure out a ‘family tree’ for the apple that traces back to the varieties in the database.

But these seedlings might also represent the interesting variety that the orchard was aiming to conserve – apples with desirable traits that grow well in Coastal Otago conditions.

Aaron Hewson checks the ID tag on one of the trees in the orchard. RNZ / Claire Concannon

It’s these traits that Aaron finds interesting to think about. For commercial growing, breeders are focused on characteristics like storage, resistance to bruising and disease, or a certain colour or crispness. But this orchard contains a much wider variety of colour, texture and flavours than can be found in our supermarket apples.

Now, thanks to the research, these varieties can be confidently shared with whoever might want to grow them.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/24/our-changing-world-the-tree-keepers/

March 24, 2026

Waihī Estuary has original name Te Heriheri restored as part of wetland project

Source: Radio New Zealand

Iwi members and local stakeholders at the unveiling of the new sign restoring the name Te Heriheri to the Waihī estuary. Supplied/Te Wahapū o Waihī

An estuary near Maketu in Bay of Plenty has had its original name Te Heriheri restored as part of an iwi-led project to restore the health of the entire wetland ecosystem.

Te Wahapū o Waihī – the collective of Ngāti Whakahemo, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Mākino, Ngāti Pikiao and Tapuika – was established by the iwi and hapū of Waihī Estuary to restore and protect the health and mauri of the wai.

The collective works with a range of organisations, including Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Ministry for the Environment, local landowners, the Waihī Drainage Society and community members.

Project lead Professor Kura Paul-Burke (Ngāti Whakahemo, Ngāti Mākino, Ngāti Awa) told RNZ one of the factors that contributed to the poor condition of the estuary was the four freshwater contributors, which once were rivers, were now straightened canals carrying polluted sediment loads straight from the land and human activities into the estuary.

“We purchased 30 hectares of dairy farm to convert to wetland and salt marsh. And the reason we did that was we wanted to build a korowai of wetlands around our estuary, because our estuary, Te Wahapū o Waihī, is one of the top five most degraded estuaries in the country. It does not meet safe swimming guidelines. It has permanent public health warning signs for our kaimoana, our shellfish.

“High nitrogen, phosphorus loads enter the estuary with E. coli levels consistently exceeding safe food consumption levels. So it’s in a very, very poor condition.”

Converting 30 hectares of dairy farm into wetland involved 160,000 native plants and fencing off 16 kilometers of waterways for riparian planting, she said.

It also involved working with local farmers to establish environmental plans in the upper catchment, she said.

Paul-Burke said all work to do with the environment was ongoing, but this part of the project ended in June of this year, and the hope was to then start building more wetlands around the estuary.

“The power of this project has been the five iwi coming together, working together alongside the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Ministry for the Environment. But this project is led by iwi.”

The commissioning of a new pump station at the Waihī estuary. Supplied/Te Wahapū o Waihī

Last Friday iwi members and stakeholders gathered at the wetland to commission a new pump station and unveil a new sign which restored the area’s original name, Te Heriheri.

“We had farmers, the ratepayers association, the drainage society. We had Minister Tama Potaka, representatives from all of the five iwi and local communities because it’s better when we all work together and all of us have worked together,” Paul-Burke said.

She said it was a beautiful ceremony and a chance to acknowledge the original name of the area.

Paul-Burke said Te Heriheri was a seasonal settlement where Ngāti Whakahemo would stay in the spring and summer months to harvest resources for the coming winter.

“So for us Ngāti Whakahemo, we were once known as the net makers, and Te Heriheri or this wetland played a major role in our trading economy with our neighbouring other iwi or tribes.”

It was also an ecologically significant area in terms of the range of native species, including plants, birds, tuna and inanga, she said.

Te Wahapū o Waihī the Waihī estuary. Supplied/Te Wahapū o Waihī

While the 30 hectare wetland and salt marsh restoration was ongoing, restoration projects within the estuary had started, including with tuangi or cockles, pipi, and seagrass, Paul-Burke said.

“What we used was for a baseline for those kaimoana species, we use mātauranga Māori and/or the intergenerational transmission of environmental knowledge from our ancestors through to today. And so we interviewed kaumātua, and they have all since passed on, unfortunately.

“But we interviewed them and asked them, when you were young, where did you use to go to collect your pipi and your tuangi? And they talked about when they were children, which meant that someone older took them, their nanny, their koro, their parents, etc., which then traversed different generations of knowledge.”

With that mātauranga as a baseline and they mapped and surveyed the entire estuary. Standard marine surveys had only identified 16 hectares of pipi and tuangi in the estuary, the surveys based on mātauranga identified 30 hectares plus, she said.

“The power and importance of that intergenerational knowledge has identified that there were actually more kaimoana in our estuary than modern science has been able to access by over 50 percent.

“So we are hoping to develop a new way of surveying and monitoring pipi in particular alongside tuangi so that anyone, any whānau, hapū, iwi or communities across the motu, across the country, can do surveys themselves using this Mātauranga Māori approach.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/24/waihi-estuary-has-original-name-te-heriheri-restored-as-part-of-wetland-project/

March 24, 2026

Fuel cost crisis: Govt to unveil ‘targeted and temporary’ support tomorrow

Source: Radio New Zealand

The finance minister will reveal “targeted and temporary” support for hard-hit families on Tuesday, as fuel costs continue to rise.

Nicola Willis gave notice of the announcement at Monday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones.

Jones also announced plans to align New Zealand’s fuel standards with that of Australia, allowing the import of fuel destined for Australia to New Zealand instead.

Willis said the decisions on support had been taken at Cabinet, and while some of the details were still being worked out, that would not affect how quickly families could get it.

“This conflict is impacting just about every New Zealander, it has pushed up the price of petrol, diesel and jet fuel and those increases are already hurting our people and our businesses. Unfortunately the government is not in a position to mitigate that impact on everyone,” she said.

“The approach we are taking is consistent with the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the response to the Covid pandemic, which highlighted the damage that can be done by untimely, untemporary and untargeted spending.”

It was unclear when the support would be rolled out, with Willis saying that would be made clear when it was announced.

Motorists should fuel up as and when they needed to, she said, with the government’s solution set to target income rather than fuel prices.

‘No concerns’ about fuel supply

For now, there were no concerns about fuel supplies in New Zealand, she said.

“To date, all shipments have arrived as scheduled and fuel importers have not raised any concerns about shipments that are due here in future.

“It remains the case that we have to be prepared for the possibility of disruptions in the medium to longer term, particularly because the refineries in Southeast Asia from which we import more than 90 percent of our fuel may have challenges getting the feedstock crude oil that they need.”

Luxon said the country had at least enough fuel for the next seven weeks, although the government was preparing in case of long-term further disruption.

“If you are someone who has just faced a 30 percent increase in your fuel bill or a 60 percent increase in your diesel bill since the actual crisis, since this conflict has commenced, it’s real.

“We cannot do the Covid learnings and mistakes, which was just spray a heap of money around that has short term gain but long term pain – massive long-term pain – and equally we’ve got to find a way to get people support in a temporary, targeted kind of way.

“The reality is that we are not going to be able to alleviate the pressure of rising prices for everyone, but what we’ve been clear about are the parameters for any support that we provide, which is that it must be targeted, it must be timely, and it must be temporary and not drive inflation or debt higher.”

The latest data from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment showed stocks for about 47 days of fuel, including about 50 days worth of petrol, 46 days of diesel, and 45 of jet fuel.

The data, accurate to last Wednesday, marks about two days fewer than was reported last week.

One new fuel shipment arrived on Sunday, and two more – carrying between them another 20 days of each kind of fuel – are expected to arrive in the next fortnight.

The next update is due on Wednesday, but the ministry says New Zealand is not yet experiencing the kind of sustained disruption that would justify emergency measures under the national fuel plan.

Luxon said nothing had changed about New Zealand’s position on the Iran conflict, but that Iranians “holding hostage a whole bunch of ships to bring fuel and critical supplies … that’s not acceptable”.

“What we want to see is a quick resolution to this conflict and that means that actually respecting civilians and civilian infrastructure is really important … we think the best thing is de-escalation.”

Willis confirmed some consideration had been given to which industries could be prioritised if fuel rationing was needed, but this would not be revealed until a later date.

“We will not be having to hit the button tomorrow, but we will outline what our proposed phasing of response is … we recognise that it’s useful for people to understand what could be coming under a range of scenarios,” she said.

She noted the high prices would also naturally limit fuel use.

“It is pinching people’s pockets already and that is changing people’s choices. So Auckland transport have reported they had their biggest day of public transport use in seven years, I think that’s people deciding to use their cars a little bit less because it’s pretty expensive right now.”

‘Anzac pact’ in fuel and other standards

Jones outlined the government’s plan to temporarily allow fuel that meets Australian specifications to be supplied to the New Zealand market for up to a year.

Fuel companies had said this could allow them to secure shipments more quickly, and from a wider pool of suppliers.

Jones said long-range vessels typically carried about 120 million litres, and New Zealand consumed about 24 million litres of fuel a day – with about 47 percent of that being diesel, about 35 percent being petrol, and the remainder being aviation fuel.

“Should such a vessel be on its way to Australia then we would have the ability to also benefit from such a vessel.”

He said fuel refined to Australian standards was compatible with New Zealand vehicles, and met safety and quality expectations, pushing back on the suggestion it would allow dirtier fuels than under current standards.

“It’s unkind of us to refer to our Aussie compatriots as dirty,” he said. “There’s two things – whether or not fuel used in a high-temperature northern Australian environment, we are advised that a lot of that fuel is suitable for the North Island … with the South Island the fuel importers assure us that they will have the optionality to service both of those markets.”

He said officials had spoken to Australian counterparts.

“We pushed the idea that at some point in time we should explore and ANZAC pact and I would say to you this is the first step that we’re taking to join forces.

“It’d be fair to say that I’ve got a fair degree of support in our Cabinet to actually move towards permanent harmonisation of not only these standards but a variety of other standards in the economy.”

Willis and the associate ministers of finance would make further improvements, he said.

The government would not follow Australia’s lead in relaxing standards to allow higher-sulphur fuel, he said, at least not yet.

“At this stage it’s not our intention to do so, however, we will take advice should the situation change – and that could be an option that expands our supply.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/fuel-cost-crisis-govt-to-unveil-targeted-and-temporary-support-tomorrow/

March 24, 2026

Coroner blames Maritime NZ, Police for delay of findings on Vivienne Pincott’s river rafting death

Source: Radio New Zealand

A white water raft goes over Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River. Supplied

Maritime New Zealand has apologised for an error that contributed to delays in releasing a coroner’s report into the river rafting death of a woman near Rotorua in August, 2020.

In his report into the death of 61-year-old Wellington woman Vivienne Pincott released on Tuesday, Coroner Michael Robb blamed Maritime New Zealand and Police for taking too long to provide some files, reports and evidence that led to the delay in releasing his findings.

Pincott died from severe injuries while white water rafting a class-five rapid that contained a seven metre drop.

She was being guided down the Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River.

In his report, Coroner Robb said even though the drop had been undertaken without fatal consequences by many others prior to Pincott’s death, the circumstances highlighted the risks of rafting on such fast moving white water.

“Safety considerations including the wearing of an appropriately sized and fitted lifejacket and helmet must be maintained, but as the circumstances of Vivienne’s death highlight, this may not provide complete protection against a fatal outcome in what is an inherently dangerous activity,” he said.

‘We unreservedly apologise’

In his report, Coroner Robb acknowledged the delay between Pincott’s death and the release of his findings.

“That delay was in large part the result of the report directed by the Coroners Court to be provided from Maritime New Zealand not being provided until 6 May 2024, nearly four years after Vivienne’s death,” he said.

“That delay was then contributed to by the New Zealand Police not providing their investigation file to the Coroners Court until April 2025, four years and eight months after Vivienne’s death.”

Coroner Robb said Maritime New Zealand had acknowledged and apologised for the delay in providing their report explaining that the delay occurred due to “internal circumstances relating to the file and the historical ways in which such matters were managed” at the time.

In a statement, Maritime New Zealand confirmed that the Coroner’s Office request for information into Pincott’s death was missed due to an administrative error.

“We extend our condolences to the family of Ms Pincott for her loss and acknowledge that the delay in finalising the Coroner’s report will have added to their distress. We unreservedly apologise to the Coroner and Ms Pincott’s family for the extended period it took for us to provide the material,” it said.

“Since 2021 we have put in place a new team, systems and processes to manage notifications and requests from the Coroner’s Office and other enquiries, which includes more stringent tracking of reports and cases.

“We are sure a delay of this nature will not happen again.”

In his report, Coroner Robb said that the greatest delay in releasing his findings was due to delays caused by the gap in Maritime New Zealand providing its report to Rotorua Police.

”However, a further year of delay was caused by the Rotorua Police not forwarding that report to the Coroners Court until April, 2025,” he said.

The coroner said that the police took years to sign off written statements from officers who had been working the day Pincott was injured. Some of the officers had left in that time.

In a statement, Rotorua Area Commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika said the police carried out an investigation, as directed by the coroner.

“We accept there was an unnecessary delay in the coronial process caused, in part, by Police,” he said.

“As noted in the report, shortly after Ms Pincott’s death, New Zealand was placed in a COVID19 level 4 lockdown. This unprecedented event consumed much of our available resource and led to a backlog of coronial files,” Ngawhika said.

“We acknowledge the impact of this delay on Ms Pincott’s family and friends and offer our sincere condolences.”

In his report, Coroner Robb said he did not take over the file until December 2025 after the inquiry had been tranferred from the orginal coroner.

“The coroner to whom the inquiry had been reassigned discovering a conflict of interest upon review of the disclosure when it was received in April, 2025. This resulted in the inquiry needing to be transferred to me, as the third assigned coroner,” he said.

“That transfer occurred in December, 2025.”

Coroner Robb said his review of the evidence in December 2025 revealed that there were gaps in the evidence that had been gathered by the police resulting in further reports being sought

from both the rafting company and Maritime New Zealand.

“A fortnight later I received a thorough and comprehensive report from the rafting company (Rotorua Adventures New Zealand – under which River Rats was operating at the time), which addressed all issues that I had raised with both the company and Maritime New Zealand,” he said.

“On 29 January 2026 I received the additional report requested from Maritime New Zealand.”

‘Extremely rare injury’

At the time of her death, Pincott was holidaying with her 25-year-old son, Bryden Frizell.

Although the coroner’s report noted previous heart problems she was described as a “fit and healthy” woman who had taken part in other physical activities without issue.

The River Rats raft she and Bryden were on had successfully navigated several other drops, before guides took it over the final seven metre – class five – waterfall.

Coroner Robb said that the raft initially became momentarily submerged and full of water at the bottom of the waterfall before resurfacing.

Video evidence showed that when the raft resurfaced, there were only three occupants on board.

“The two guides were in their original positions and Bryden remained in the front of the raft, but having been washed or jolted from his original right hand seat position towards his left occupying, or partially occupying where his mother had been seated,” he said.

Pincott resurfaced some 10-15 seconds later, before being rescued by guides.

Although initially concious and able to talk, she deteriorated and collapsed before emergency services arrived.

The coroner’s report said that, despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem found that Pincott suffered severe traumatic injuries.

“What I wanted to understand was whether this extremely rare injury sustained by Vivienne was a consequence of something environmentally unusual, such as overly high or low river flow, technique or navigation issue that occurred at the time, or any other identifiable difference to the multiple other uneventful navigations of the Tutea Falls,” Coroner Robb said.

The coroner concluded it was most likely that Pincott was driven into rocks or the riverbed after being ejected from the raft.

While such incidents were extremely rare given the large number of people who had rafted Tutea Falls, the coroner found that her death was the result of the inherent risks of white-water rafting, even when safety procedures were followed.

The rafting company, River Rats, had changed ownership since Pincott’s death.

The new owners, and Pincott’s family were approached for comment.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/24/coroner-blames-maritime-nz-police-for-delay-of-findings-on-vivienne-pincotts-river-rafting-death/

March 24, 2026

Shane Jones labels critics of fisheries bill as ‘noisy voices’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has called critics of his Fisheries Amendment Bill “a range of noisy voices” and invited them to have their say at the select committee.

The bill, which is scheduled to have it’s first reading on Tuesday, has been welcomed by the commercial sector but condemned by recreational fishing groups.

Fishing Host Matt Watson – probably the country’s most famous recreational fisher – is dismayed by the proposals in the fishing amendment bill.

He told First Up the bill’s “designed purely to prioritise the profits of the seafood industry”.

“If these go through unchecked, it is disaster. It’s beginning of the end for our fish stocks, and that’ not over dramatising it.”

Among Watson’s concerns is the proposal to remove the minimum size limits for commercial fishers from a number of popular species, including snapper.

He said it wouldn’t encourage commercial fishers to avoid undersized fish and would decrease overall fish stocks.

The current recreational size limit for snapper is between 25cm and 30cm depending on location, while the commercial size limit is 25cm.

Minimum size limits are imposed to ensure fish can reach sexual maturity before being caught.

“If you start killing fish before they’ve had a chance to breed, you’re going to run out of fish and you don’t need to be a genius to figure that out,” Watson said.

Fishing Host Matt Watson. Facebook

Jones argued that allowing the commercial sector to land and sell undersize fish would prevent wastage.

Currently commercial fishers must dump undersize fish dead or alive, and it doesn’t count against their quota.

“The new provision is that if you catch them, you pay for them,” Jones said.

“With the commercial industry, we know every single kilo that they take and their conduct is now captured by cameras.”

But if Jones’ bill passes, the footage taken by cameras on board commercial boats can no longer be accessed under the official information act, effectively making it off limits to the public.

Anyone who leaks the footage faces a $50,000 fine.

“If you’ve got nothing to hide, why on earth would you behave like that,” Sam Woolford of recreational advocacy group Legasea said.

“When cameras on boats were introduced, we know that the rate of discarding, or notified discards, went up about 46 percent. For snapper and kingfish, it was closer to 1000 percent.”

Jones, a self described apostle of industry, brushed off the concerns about snapper stocks, telling First Up the “amount of snapper in our waters is almost biblical in its profundity”.

“You can almost walk on the water we’ve got so many snapper.”

Coalition support means the Fisheries Amendment Bill should easily pass it’s first reading, but Labour’s fisheries and Oceans spokesperson Rachel Boyack said she would make her concerns heard at the select committee stage.

She said her party would do their “best to make changes to the bill so that it’s not as bad as what it could be.”

Although with commercial fishing a strong feature of her Nelson electorate, Boyack was choosing her words carefully .

“It creates jobs in my local community and it’s important that we are able to produce fish for food and for export, but we also have to ensure that the fishery is sustainable”.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment, but in a facebook post Northland MP Grant McCallum said he met with Legasea and the sports fishing council over the weekend and would strongly represent the views of the recreational sector in the party’s caucus this week.

Seafood New Zealand’s Inshore Policy Manager Tamar Wells said the commercial sector was trying to make the industry more sustainable.

“Fishers do change their methods. In terms of their selectivity of their nets, they’ll have larger mesh to let smaller fish out.

“There’s also new methods coming in, like Flowmo, which is a type of net that can keep fish kind of contained underwater so they have a higher survivability.”

The Fisheries Amendment Bill won’t require commercial fishers to change their methods though and Jones said there was no plan to outlaw trawling.

“It’s evident to me that the vast majority of the activists opposed to trawling are really seeking to undo the Māori fisheries settlement and terminate the commercial fishing industry and that’s just never, ever going to happen for as long as I’m in politics, and I look forward to being in politics for a long, long time.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/shane-jones-labels-critics-of-fisheries-bill-as-noisy-voices/

March 24, 2026

Melco garners six diamonds in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide

Source: Media Outreach

MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 March 2026 – Melco Resorts & Entertainment has garnered six diamonds in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, further reaffirming the Company’s status as a global leader in fine dining and underlining its commitment to culinary excellence.

Jade Dragon at City of Dreams – Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Three-diamonds Restaurant

City of Dreams’ signature Cantonese fine dining restaurant Jade Dragon secured the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide‘s coveted Three Diamonds accolade for the seventh consecutive year, upholding its status as Macau’s one and only three diamond Chinese restaurant, and was honored the special “Annual Dish Award” for its signature “Steamed Garoupa Fillet on Egg White Custard with Aged Chinese Hua Diao Wine Sauce” course. Innovative Chinese restaurant Yí at City of Dreams received One Diamond, marking its seventh year of such achievement. Revering the great traditions and savoir-faire of French cuisine, Alain Ducasse at Morpheus maintains its One Diamond status for the third consecutive year, whilst City of Dreams’ tranquil Japanese restaurant Sushi Kinetsu upholds its One Diamond honor in the esteemed guide for the third consecutive year.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco, said, “It is a profound honor for Melco to be recognized once again by the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide in 2026. In addition to the recent achievements in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2026, these prestigious accolades are a testament to our unwavering dedication to culinary innovation and our commitment to strengthening Macau’s position as a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy.

“This achievement would not be possible without the incredible passion and hard work of our Colleagues. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our world-class culinary and front-of-house teams; it is their relentless pursuit of service excellence that allows us to consistently deliver the most memorable and exquisite dining experiences to our guests from around the globe. We remain steadfast in our mission to push the boundaries of luxury hospitality and contribute to the vibrant diversification of Macau’s tourism landscape.”

At the award ceremony which took place today in Singapore, Melco properties’ restaurants received the following honors:

JADE DRAGON – Three Diamonds and Annual Dish Award for “Steamed Garoupa Fillet on Egg White Custard withAged Chinese Hua Diao Wine Sauce”
Being the only Cantonese restaurant in Greater China awarded with both Three Black Pearl Diamonds and Three MICHELIN Stars, Jade Dragon showcases exquisite culinary masterpieces created with the freshest seasonal ingredients and delectable delicacies. Jade Dragon sets the benchmark for fine dining in Macau with its spectacular designer décor and superlative personalized service. Recent honors and awards include:

Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Three Diamonds (2020-2026)
MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau Three Stars (2019-2026)
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating (2014-2026)
Trip.com Gourmet’s Black Diamond award (2021-2023, 2026), Diamond award (2024-2025)
Harper’s BAZAAR HK’s Restaurant of the Year (2026), BAZAAR Taste Elite Macao (2024-2026)
Tatler Best Awards Asia Pacific’s Best 100 Restaurants (2024-2025)
Tatler Best Awards Hong Kong & Macau’s Restaurant of the Year Macau (2025), Best 20 Restaurants Macau (2025)
Tatler Dining Guide’s Top 20 Macau Restaurants List (2024)
South China Morning Post’s 100 Top Tables (2014-2025)
TARGET ELITE SELECT Awards’ Chinese Restaurant of the Year (2025), Cantonese Restaurant of the Year (2024)
TimeOut Beijing Food & Bar Awards’ Cantonese Restaurant of the Year (2025)
China Feast Restaurants Awards’ Annual Influential Restaurants (2025)
La Liste’s Top 1,000 World’s Best Restaurants (2025)
Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence (2014-2025)
World Culinary Awards’ Asia’s Best Hotel Restaurant (2025), Macao’s Best Hotel Restaurant (2022-2025)
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s Macau Tastemakers List (2024-2025)
Three Stars in Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide (2024-2025)

YÍ – One Diamond
One-diamond award winner Yí, located on the 21^st floor Sky Bridge of Morpheus, offers the very heights of innovative fine dining and Chinese cuisine served in a modern seasonal tasting menu format. Its degustation menu is inspired by the 24 Solar Terms of the Traditional Chinese Calendar (Jie Qi), changes 12 times a year and highlights many of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Recent honors and awards include:

Black Pearl Restaurant Guide One Diamond (2020-2026)
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards (2020-2026)
Trip.com Gourmet’s Platinum award (2021-2026)
Harper’s BAZAAR HK’s BAZAAR Taste Elite Macao (2024-2025)
Tatler Best Hong Kong & Macau’s Best 20 Restaurants Macau (2025)
Tatler Dining Guide’s Top 20 Macau Restaurants List (2024)
South China Morning Post’s 100 Top Tables (2019-2025)
China Feast Restaurants Awards’ Best Innovative Restaurants (2025)
Food&Wine The Best Awards’ Hotel Restaurant of the Year (2025)
La Liste’s Top 1,000 World’s Best Restaurants (2025)
Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence (2022-2025)
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s Macau Tastemakers List (2024-2025)

ALAIN DUCASSE AT MORPHEUS – One Diamond
Awarded One Diamond, Alain Ducasse at Morpheus redefines legendary French classics with a contemporary vision and sentimental approach to cooking. The restaurant located at City of Dreams sources produce from the best regions which is harvested at its optimal time, highlighting a deep appreciation for nature and an intimate understanding of the seasons. Sourcing from small-scale farms and line-caught fish, the restaurant ensures unparalleled quality and a distinctive tasting experience. Recent honors and awards include:

Black Pearl Restaurant Guide One Diamond (2024-2026)
MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau Two Stars (2019-2026)
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating (2020-2026)
Trip.com Gourmet’s Diamond award (2022-2026)
Harper’s BAZAAR HK’s BAZAAR Taste Elite Macao (2026)
Tatler Best Awards Asia Pacific’s Best 100 Restaurants (2025)
Tatler Best Awards Hong Kong & Macau’s Best Service (2025), Best 20 Restaurants Macau (2025)
Tatler Dining Guide’s Top 20 Macau Restaurants List (2024)
South China Morning Post’s 100 Top Tables (2020-2025)
TimeOut Beijing Food & Bar Awards’ French Restaurant of the Year (2025)
La Liste’s Top 1,000 World’s Best Restaurants (2025)
Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence (2019-2025)
TARGET ELITE SELECT Awards’ French Restaurant of the Year (2024)
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s Macau Tastemakers List (2024)

SUSHI KINETSU – One Diamond
Bestowed One Diamond, Sushi Kinetsu at City of Dreams offers authentic Edomae sushi across a beautiful, centuries old Hinoki wood sushi bar. The tranquil restaurant serves seasonal delicacies using only the finest ingredients, crafted by Japanese master chefs. Recent honors and awards include:

Black Pearl Restaurant Guide One Diamond (2024-2026)
MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau One Star (2024-2026)
Trip.com Gourmet’s Diamond award (2024-26), Platinum award (2023)
Harper’s BAZAAR HK’s BAZAAR Taste Spotlight Macao (2026)
Tatler Best Hong Kong & Macau’s restaurant list (2025)

https://www.melco-resorts.com
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Hashtag: #melco #blackpearl #cityofdreamsmacau #jadedragon #alainducasseatmorpheus #sushikinetsu #yi

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/24/melco-garners-six-diamonds-in-the-2026-black-pearl-restaurant-guide/

March 23, 2026

Galaxy Macau Welcomes Yamazato’s First One Diamond Accolade in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, Joining 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA and Feng Wei Ju as Distinguished Awardees

Source: Media Outreach

MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 March 2026 -Galaxy Macau proudly celebrates a new milestone in its culinary journey, as Yamazato makes its inaugural appearance in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide with a prestigious One Diamond rating. This recognition marks Yamazato‘s first inclusion in the influential dining guide and positions it alongside two of the Group’s acclaimed restaurants — 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA and Feng Wei Ju at StarWorld Hotel — both of which have once again been awarded One Diamond. Together, the accolades reaffirm Galaxy Macau’s unwavering commitment to elevating Macau’s gastronomic landscape through excellence, innovation and culinary artistry.

Galaxy Macau celebrates its gastronomic achievements as Yamazato debuts in 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide with One Diamond, in addition to 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA and StarWorld Hotel’s Feng Wei Ju retaining their One Diamond distinctions.

The results were announced today at the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Awards Ceremony for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas regions, held in Singapore.

Yamazato: A Refined Expression of Japanese Culinary Craftsmanship

Yamazato at Galaxy Macau debuts in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide with a One Diamond rating, recognising its seasonal Japanese seafood, premium ingredients and refined kaiseki artistry framed by serene resort views.

Located on the 28th floor of Hotel Okura Macau, Yamazato showcases the pinnacle of Japanese fine dining, anchored by its artisanal kaiseki and complemented by impeccably sourced seafood, pristine sashimi and sushi, and thoughtfully curated premium beef selections. Under the guidance of Executive Chef Hideaki Hayashi, each dish is crafted with precision to express the purity and beauty of the season.

With its understated Japanese design and sweeping views of Galaxy Macau’s landscaped gardens, the restaurant offers a serene and elegant setting. A main dining room, intimate sushi counter and a private room for up to 12 guests create a versatile yet immersive dining experience.

Yamazato‘s One Diamond debut is a strong testament to its culinary vision, craftsmanship and commitment to exceptional service.

Culinary Icons Continue Their Legacy of Excellence

Feng Wei Ju at StarWorld Hotel is honoured with One Diamond distinction once again in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide

At StarWorld Hotel, Feng Wei Ju continues to set the benchmark for Hunan and Sichuan cuisine in Macau. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Chan Chek Keong, the restaurant—renowned for its bold flavours, technical finesse and modern interpretations of regional classics—celebrates its continued recognition with a One Diamond rating in the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. This achievement complements its exceptional distinction of holding Two MICHELIN Stars for ten consecutive years, underscoring its longstanding leadership in regional Chinese cuisine.

8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, Italian fine-dining at Galaxy Macau, extends its One Diamond accolade for the third year in one of China’s most authoritative restaurant guide.

Meanwhile, 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA at Galaxy Macau continues to uphold its distinguished One Diamond standing. Guided by Executive Chef Marino D’Antonio, the restaurant remains celebrated for Italian cuisine that marries heritage with contemporary finesse. Its unwavering emphasis on exceptional ingredients, precise technique and disciplined consistency has earned it an impressive eleven consecutive years of MICHELIN starred recognition, securing its place as one of Macau’s most enduring and admired fine dining destinations.

Reaffirming Galaxy Macau’s Culinary Excellence

Collectively, these honours underscore the depth, diversity and consistency of Galaxy Macau’s award-winning portfolio, spanning globally recognised fine dining, regional Chinese cuisines and a spectrum of diverse experiences shaped with passion and precision. Together, the achievements reflect the resort’s continued commitment to advancing its culinary offerings and elevating its offerings, reinforcing Galaxy Macau’s role in shaping an exceptional dining scene that resonates with guests from around the world.

The Black Pearl Restaurant Guide is shaped through anonymous assessments by seasoned gastronomes and culinary experts, who evaluate restaurants on culinary excellence, service quality, dining environment and the balance of heritage and innovation. It is regarded as one of the most influential and respected rating systems in China’s dining landscape.

Hashtag: #GalaxyMacau

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/galaxy-macau-welcomes-yamazatos-first-one-diamond-accolade-in-the-2026-black-pearl-restaurant-guide-joining-8%C2%BD-otto-e-mezzo-bombana-and-feng-wei-ju-as-distinguished-awardees/

March 23, 2026

Woman sent to court after fleeing Police

Source: New Zealand Police

A woman nosing through North Shore mailboxes has been diverted to court after fleeing from Police.

At 3am, Police detected a stolen Nissan hatchback travelling through Wairau Valley.

Acting Inspector Andrew Hawkins, Relieving Waitematā East Area Prevention Manager, says the Police Eagle helicopter had been in the area and deployed to the report.

“Eagle was quickly overhead and picked up the vehicle travelling on East Coast Road in the Sunnynook area,” he says.

“While overhead, the vehicle has been seen stopping in several driveways along the road and the woman driving has been seen searching through mailboxes.”

Information was relayed to Police staff on the ground and a unit moved in to pull the vehicle over.

Acting Inspector Hawkins says the vehicle was signalled to stop on East Coast Road.

“The driver failed to stop and took off from the unit at high speed, and was not pursued at the time,” he says.

“With Eagle overhead, the driver had nowhere to go, and the vehicle was tracked heading onto Sycamore Drive.

“The woman abandoned the vehicle on the road and unsuccessfully attempted to hide from Police nearby.”

The 34-year-old Glenfield woman was soon arrested.

Police have since recovered the Nissan hatchback, which was confirmed stolen earlier this month from the Forrest Hill area.

“We have searched the vehicle and fortunately have not located any stolen mail inside,” acting Inspector Hawkins says.

The woman is expected in the North Shore District Court later this month, facing charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/woman-sent-to-court-after-fleeing-police/

March 23, 2026

4.5 or two-star water? Health labels confuse

Source: Radio New Zealand

Three different water bottles, three different health labels. Supplied

Two bottles of sparkling water. One, a Pam’s product has two Health Stars. The other, a Schweppes brand, has 4.5.

It prompted one shopper to email RNZ and ask: What is going on?

Shouldn’t water with the same ingredients have the same rating? And why isn’t water five stars?

Foodstuffs said in this instance, it was a labelling problem.

“The rules changed in 2020 and plain water is now automatically given a five-star rating, while unsweetened sparkling water gets 4.5,” a spokesperson said.

“We can see why this looks confusing at first glance. Health Star Ratings follow a standard approach across New Zealand and Australia. Most products are calculated, but some, like plain water and unsweetened flavoured water, including sparkling, are automatically given high ratings.

“In this case, the rating on our Pam’s sparkling water is out of date following a 2020 update to the rating system. The product hasn’t changed, but the label hasn’t caught up.

“That’s on us, and we’re fixing it, so customers have clear and consistent information.”

But experts say the water situation highlights some of the confusion that still persists about the scheme.

Health Star ratings are set using a standard system that considers the balance of energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, offset against protein and fibre. Points are also awarded for fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content.

Consumer NZ senior research writer Belinda Castles said Foodstuffs was quite late in updating its water rating.

But she said, generally, products were displaying the star rating that the calculator suggested they should.

She said the main issue with the scheme was that it was voluntary. “Only 36 percent of the products that it’s intended for have the rating so that’s not particularly helpful.

“Consumers need to be able to look at the food supply as a whole because the consensus is the Health Star rating is useful. We don’t have time to be looking at all the nutrition information panels on the back.”

She said there was concern that some companies were cherry picking their healthier products to have the star.

“They’re going ‘ok we’ve got this five-star product we’ll put the rating on our fours and fives but we’ll leave it off the ones and twos’.”

She said people should also only use it to compare similar products. “The calculator has slightly different calculations depending on what the product is. Like if it it’s a cooking oil, for example versus a dairy product versus a cereal… use it to pick a healthier cereal, don’t use it to pick a cooking oil versus a cereal.”

She said the intended target was for 70 percent of products to have a rating at the end of last year and it was only halfway there.

But Rob Hamlin, from the University of Otago marketing department, said the regime was ineffective when it came to driving consumer choice.

“This disconnect between our legislative powerhouses with regards to nutritional labels and reality has led to some very unfortunate outcomes.

“The Heart Foundation tick is what’s known as a binary cue… It was an image that communicated by being there or not being there… we do know the Heart Foundation tick was effective because it was much more similar to the pictorial nominal cues that the food industry used to effectively communicate with consumers.”

The Heart Foundation tick was discontinued in 2016.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/4-5-or-two-star-water-health-labels-confuse/

March 23, 2026

Taxpayers invest $784K to new Rakaia River wetland to try to lure salmon back

Source: Radio New Zealand

The small farming township of Rakaia’s river was once internationally-recognised for its abundant sea-run chinook salmon and other aquatic species, but population numbers have since drastically declined. Steve Terry

It’s hoped a new $1.7 million wetland in Mid Canterbury will improve the once-thriving salmon run in the Rakaia River.

For the past 70 years, Glenariffe Stream – considered a key salmon-spawning site in the braided river – has been diverted to drain farmland.

The stream contributed around 18 percent of the wild chinook salmon that returned to spawn in the river.

For the small farming township of Rakaia, south of Christchurch, its river was once internationally-recognised for its abundant sea-run chinook salmon and other aquatic species, but population numbers have since drastically declined.

Now, three large high country farms have retired hundreds of hectares of land to return the river’s eastern branch to its original course, pre-agricultural expansion.

Forty-four hectares of the wetland habitat have also been restored.

With Fish and Game the project lead, its North Canterbury project manager, Steve Terry, said protecting spawning habitat was one of the few levers available to help the fishery recover.

“Salmon numbers are at historic lows not just in Canterbury but across New Zealand’s East Coast rivers, with unfavourable, warmer ocean conditions among the key drivers of decline.”

He said while the ocean and climate could not be controlled, the efforts would ensure that when salmon do return to the Rakaia to spawn, their offspring have the best possible habitat.

“Glenariffe Stream is one of the river’s most significant spawning tributaries, and for 70 years it simply wasn’t functioning as it should. Getting it back to its natural course is a major step forward for the fishery,” Terry said.

The McIntyre wetland project was named after the late James McIntyre, who bequeathed $550,000 to the project.

Meanwhile, taxpayers fronted $784,000 towards the three-year project under the Ministry for the Environment’s freshwater improvement fund.

Double Hill Station retired 77 hectares of wetlands and waterways, Redcliffes Station stopped farming on 59 hectares of wetlands and native scrub, and a 200-hectare QEII covenant protecting the Hydra Waters for Mount Algidus Station.

Distressed anglers were raising the alarm about the Rakaia’s abysmal fish stocks and degraded river quality and flow, and were currently limited to catching just one salmon.

The Rakaia River. Supplied

For the first time in 40 years, organisers of the annual Rakaia River Fishing competition did not weigh in any fish to allow the fishery to recover.

But Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager said a range of options to help restore state of the fishery were being considered with Fish and Game.

“We have had some concerns over the stock of the fishery there in terms of sea-run salmon.”

But he said it was all about balancing the economic drivers with environmental outcomes.

Meager said a water conservation order in place here provided guardrails, so farmers could irrigate within safe environmental limits.

He said irrigators had high standards, and he hoped Resource Management Act reform would see consenting for water storage eased.

“It’s all a balance though, of course, because we have to generate enough economic activity in the region, and we know that water is a big part of that in Mid-Canterbury, while balancing that off against the environmental outcomes that we want to achieve,” Meager said.

“So particularly for this project, it reaches a good balance.”

When asked if the economic drivers versus environmental impacts were unbalanced, he said he did not think so.

“If you look at the progress that’s been made over the past 10, 20, 30 years in terms of farming practice, in terms of the awareness of our activity and the impact on the environment, I actually think we’ve come a long way.”

Meanwhile, environmental critics including fish veterinarian Peter Trolove said salmon returns were excellent before the privatisation of public grazing runs, following the High Country tenure review.

Published back at the turn of the millennium, the Glenariffe stream’s tenure review warned that land‑use changes could worsen river sedimentation, water quality deterioration and habitat loss-issues.

The Salmon Anglers Association will hold a meeting about the future of the fishery in Christchurch on Thursday.

The wetland restoration was a partnership with landowners, the Canterbury regional council, Cawthron Institute, Manawa Energy, Rakaia River Fishing Promptions and QEII Trust.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/taxpayers-invest-784k-to-new-rakaia-river-wetland-to-try-to-lure-salmon-back/

March 22, 2026

Winston Peters announces proposal to overhaul energy sector in State of the Nation speech

Source: Radio New Zealand

During his state of nation speech, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters addressed his party’s new proposal to split up energy gentailers, the state of the economy, Covid and his party’s aspirations at this year’s election.

He also spent time taking shots at his political rivals, with sections of his speech dedicated to Labour, the Green Party and Te Pāti Māori.

Peters also acknowledged the country was “navigating a chaotic environment” and that New Zealand’s economy “isn’t where it should be”.

Here are some the topics Peters touched on.

Energy sector overhaul

Peters anchored much of his speech on energy, announcing his party would campaign on splitting up the energy gentailers (generators and retailers).

He said the policy would ensure energy gentailers could “no longer control both the power and the price”.

“The big four power companies control almost 90 percent of the electricity generation and then sell it back to themselves,” Peters said.

New Zealand First’s Winston Peters during his state of the nation speech. RNZ/Dan Jones

“It will mean more power stations. More renewable energy. More competition. More resilience.

“It’s time to secure our electricity system for all New Zealanders.”

New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones had already promised the party would look to split up energy gentailers.

New candidate Alfred Ngaro

New Zealand First also announced Alfred Ngaro as a new candidate, who will run for the party at this year’s elections.

Ngaro – speaking before Peters – said NZ First stood for “what is right” and everything he believed.

Alfred Ngaro. RNZ /Dom Thomas

“Right now there is a quiet uncertainty in this country, people are working hard but wondering whether things will get better.

“The best days of New Zealand are not behind us they are ahead of us,” he said.

However several people in the crowd questioned who he was, with Ngaro not introducing himself at the start of his speech.

Fonterra and Air NZ

Peters went on to talk about Fonterra’s proposal to sell Mainland, Anchor and Kapiti.

Fonterra had gone from a “propped-up nationalist company, to a sell-out globalist company”, Peters said.

He also labelled calls for the government to sell its stake in Air New Zealand as “economic neoliberal lunacy”.

“Air New Zealand is our national carrier and a national asset.

“As the majority shareholder, the government should be backing its future rather than dragging it down and hocking it off.”

Covid and Labour failures

Peters said the latest Covid-19 inquiry highlighted failures by the Labour party.

“The report brings questions that need to be answered by Hipkins and Verrall and all those other former ministers,” he said.

“They cannot brush this off… Someone needs to be held accountable.”

Peters claimed Labour wasted billions of dollars and did not “properly advise” the public of the vaccine “risks”, a claim Labour strongly denies.

Speech protests

Protests outside Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech in Tauranga. RNZ/Dan Jones

Peters hosted the event at the Atrium Conference Centre in the Tauranga suburb of Otūmoetai, where a group of protesters gathered holding Palestinian and Māori flags.

People protesting Shane Jone’s fishing reform were seen holding signs that read: “Shane Jones = Fishy deal” and “Big fishing wins Kiwis lose”.

The New Zealand Herald reported some of the protesters as being Destiny Church members.

Currently, NZ First is trending upward in the polls. In the latest RNZ Reid Research poll, the party sat at 9.8 percent in the party vote, which would result in 12 seats in parliament – four more than what it currently holds.

Peters was third in the preferred prime minister ranking, at 12.6 percent. Labour’s Chris Hipkins was at 21.1 percent, with Christopher Luxon on 19.4 percent.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/winston-peters-announces-proposal-to-overhaul-energy-sector-in-state-of-the-nation-speech/

March 22, 2026

Keep yourself, family, and friends safe from life-threatening listeriosis

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is sharing some simple guidance to prevent people getting a rare but life-threatening foodborne illness.

“Although listeriosis is rare in New Zealand, vulnerable people die of this preventable disease every year, so we want to share some practical steps people can take at home to avoid getting sick,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

Listeriosis is caused by eating or drinking food that has high levels of Listeria, a bacterium that is widespread in the environment. Listeria is invisible, has no odour and, unlike most bacteria, can continue to grow when food is refrigerated.

“The most recent Annual report concerning Foodborne Diseases in New Zealand shows that there was a single death from listeria in 2024, down from 6 in 2022 and 7 in 2023.

Annual report concerning Foodborne Diseases in New Zealand [PDF, 2.6 MB]

“But even one death is one too many, so that’s why we are continuing our efforts to get those most at risk – pregnant women and older people – to better understand the dangers of listeriosis and what to do to decrease them.”

Infections in healthy adults are unlikely to be severe, but listeriosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or disease in the newborn baby.

As you age – and particularly over 65 – your immune system gets weaker. This means foods you safely ate in the past may no longer be safe for you to eat.

“Some people may not be aware of this. So, we’re highlighting higher-risk foods while sharing some food-safety advice on how to make them safe to eat,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Higher-risk foods include:

ready-to-eat meat products (like deli meats and pâtés)
smoked seafood (especially cold smoked fish)
soft cheeses (like brie, camembert, and paneer)
unpasteurised dairy products (like raw milk and cheese)
leafy greens and bagged salad (like mesclun and spinach).

For a fuller list see our webpage:

Listeria infection: symptoms and advice

To lower the risk of getting listeriosis, you can:

choose safer foods
heat food to piping hot (over 75°C) before eating
when eating raw fruit and vegetables, wash and dry thoroughly first
only eat food that was recently prepared
refrigerate leftovers quickly and avoid eating leftovers that won’t be reheated
wash and dry your hands thoroughly and follow good food hygiene practices.

“New Zealand Food Safety requires food businesses to manage Listeria in the processing environment and to have strict measures in place to eliminate its presence in products,” says Mr Arbuckle.

“If something goes wrong, we support food businesses with their consumer-level food recalls. In 2024, there were 4 consumer recalls due to the possible presence of Listeria.

“But there’s also something you can do to protect yourself and others. If you make or buy food for vulnerable people, or are vulnerable yourself, please sign up to our food recall alerts.

“Also look out for our current awareness campaign so you can share it with people who may not know the life-threatening risks. Let’s work together to not lose another person to listeriosis.”

Find out more

Food and pregnancy

Food safety advice for over-65s

Food safety advice for people with low immunity

Food safety in the home [PDF, 1.1 MB]

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/keep-yourself-family-and-friends-safe-from-life-threatening-listeriosis/

March 22, 2026

Fishery officers do thousands of recreational catch inspections throughout summer – overall compliance 94%

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

Fishery officers throughout New Zealand did almost 13,000 recreational catch inspections over summer and found most people followed the rules, with compliance at about 94% across the country. 

In the Auckland region, fishery officers did 5,806 inspections between December and the end of February, finding 361 instances of non-compliance with the rules. Many fishers received warnings and more than 85 infringements were issued. Fishery officers are still making enquiries into more than 25 cases. 

Fisheries New Zealand director of fisheries compliance, Steve Ham says most problems people ran into with the rules – such as undersize or excess fish – when minor breaches were found, education was provided.  

“In saying that we will prosecute when required. For example, we recently prosecuted an Auckland man for selling recreational fish. This man was banned by the court from all fishing for 3 years.”

Mr Ham says set nets remain a focus for fishery officers.

“We are confiscating illegal set nets regularly. Recently we found 3 set nets tied together, covering 160 metres in length. 

“Some fishers are just blatantly breaking the rules and while most people will face a $250 fine, in more serious situations, the courts can issue more severe fines.”

Fishery officers also find nets without markings or buoys displaying contact details, which are also a hazard to other water users.

Some of the seizures by fishery officers included finding a car battery being used as an anchor for a set net, which is environmentally irresponsible, a decoy duck used to hide a set net, and staked set nets leaving fish dead and out of the water.

In the Wellington region, 2,435 recreational inspections were done, with 192 instances of non-compliance. Most problems occurred with people taking too much or undersize pāua and crayfish. While a number of cases are still under enquiry, fishery officers also issued about 100 infringement notices.

“While compliance was generally good, our fishery officers are still catching people breaking particularly the pāua rules. While our officers do a lot of education work with people on the rules, in some cases, where people are deliberately taking too much pāua, they can expect a fine. Or, if it’s more serious, such as selling it, we will put the matter before the court,” Mr Ham says. 

In the South Island, fishery officers did 4,488 recreational inspections during summer, recording 261 instances of non-compliance. Many of these resulted in warnings, and 93 infringements were issued. Fishery officers are still making enquiries into about 25 cases.

“Fishery officers worked extremely hard throughout summer and while they provided education to a lot of people on rules, they still found too many people with too much pāua, crayfish, and undersize blue cod or blue cod being landed in an illegal state,” Mr Ham says.

“Blue cod should always be landed whole or gutted, or in some areas headed and gutted, and it should never be used as bait, which we have found is still the case in both Southland and Otago from time to time. This behaviour threatens the sustainability of the blue cod fisheries. 

“There is plenty of information available so that everyone can easily familiarise themselves with the rules.  

“One of the best things you can do before going fishing is to download the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app because it will provide you with the latest rules for the area you intend to fish – including closures and gear restrictions. This should be as essential to your fishing kit as your physical gear,” Mr Ham says.

NZ Fishing Rules mobile app

Everything recreational fishers need to know about set netting regulations can be found here:

Set Net – Code of Practice [PDF, 22 MB]

We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224). 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/fishery-officers-do-thousands-of-recreational-catch-inspections-throughout-summer-overall-compliance-94/

March 22, 2026

Shellfish biotoxin warning for Canterbury

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Food Safety is advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from the northern side of Banks Peninsula due to the risk of paralytic shellfish toxins causing illness, says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle.

The warning extends from New Brighton to the northern side of Hickory Bay. As the weather changes, this bloom could spread wider.

“Do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick. Affected shellfish include bivalve shellfish such as mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes) and Cook’s turban.

“It’s important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from this area should not be eaten.”

A visible bloom at the head of Port Levy has extremely high numbers of paralytic shellfish toxin producing algae.

“We are monitoring this algal bloom in Port Levy and the wider area. This algae, called Alexandrium pacificum, produces a dangerous toxin and when shellfish filter-feed, these toxins can accumulate in their gut and flesh. Generally, the more algae there are in the water, the more toxic the shellfish get.”

Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within 10 minutes to 3 hours of eating and may include:

numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, hands, and feet
difficulty swallowing or breathing
dizziness and headache
nausea and vomiting
diarrhoea
paralysis and respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death.

Shellfish biotoxin alerts

“Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.

“Finfish are not affected by this public health warning, but we advise gutting the fish and discarding the liver before cooking,” says Mr Arbuckle.

New Zealand Food Safety has had no notifications of associated illness.

Anyone who becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued should phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately. Please also contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.

“New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Commercially harvested shellfish – sold in shops and supermarkets or exported – is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by New Zealand Food Safety to ensure they are safe to eat.

Find out more

Shellfish biotoxin alert webpage

Subscribe to shellfish biotoxins to receive email alerts

See signage in the affected area

Podcast about shellfish contamination

Collecting Shellfish and Keeping Them Safe [PDF, 3.2 MB]

Causes and symptoms of toxic shellfish poisoning

About toxic algal blooms

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/shellfish-biotoxin-warning-for-canterbury/

March 22, 2026

Christchurch fish processing factory fined $30,000 for shellfish biosecurity breaches

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

A Christchurch-licenced fish receiver and fish processing factory has been fined $30,000 for biosecurity breaches of a shellfish contained zone.

Ikana New Zealand Limited was sentenced on 9 charges under the Biosecurity Act it pleaded guilty to in the Christchurch District Court, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (13 March 2026). The company exports live seafood products, including green lipped mussels.

“Ikana New Zealand Limited arranged the movement of live green lipped mussels from the Upper South Contained Zone, which regulations prohibit them from doing. This was because Ikana did not have a permit to receive this seafood for processing and the company supplying the shellfish also did not have a permit to supply it,” says MPI director of investigations and compliance support, Gary Orr.

“Our investigation found Ikana received 27 consignments of more than 239,000 kg of live green lipped mussels illegally. Ikana’s action was in breach of the Bonamia Ostreae Controlled Area Notice – implemented to prevent the spread of the unwanted organism Bonamia Ostreae,” Mr Orr says.

This controlled area notice has been in place across areas of the South Island since 2015 to prevent the spread of the disease that has seriously affected the flat oyster fishery.

“These green lipped mussel shellfish were for export, and the unlawful movement of this shellfish had potential to cause serious reputational harm to the New Zealand shellfish industry,” says Mr Orr.

In October 2024, a biosecurity inspector discovered the green lipped mussels were being moved illegally by both seafood producers and processors as they did not hold permits.

The aquaculture companies that supplied the shellfish to the Christchurch company are also facing charges under the Biosecurity Act and are still before the court, along with several other associated companies.

“The vast majority of people who work in the commercial fishing industry are responsible and do the right thing by following all rules and regulations. Ikana’s action was negligent and the unlawful shellfish had the potential to cause serious harm to the reputation of our country’s multi-million-dollar export and domestic shellfish industry. When we find evidence of offending – we take action,” Mr Orr says.

We encourage people to report any suspected illegal activity through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ 0800 4 POACHER line (0800 476 224).

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/christchurch-fish-processing-factory-fined-30000-for-shellfish-biosecurity-breaches/

March 21, 2026

Taxpayers invest $784K to new Rakaia River wetland to try lure salmon back

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s hoped a new $1.7 million wetland in Mid Canterbury will improve the once-thriving salmon run in the Rakaia River.

For the past 70 years, Glenariffe Stream – considered a key salmon-spawning site in the braided river – has been diverted to drain farmland.

The stream contributed around 18 percent of the wild chinook salmon that returned to spawn in the river.

Now, three large high country farms have retired hundreds of hectares of land to return the river’s eastern branch to its original course, pre-agricultural expansion.

Forty-four hectares of the wetland habitat have also been restored.

With Fish and Game the project lead, its North Canterbury project manager, Steve Terry, said [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/571617/fish-and-game-family-fishing-licences-to-undergo-changes-to-remove-historic-anomaly

protecting spawning habitat] was one of the few levers available to help the fishery recover.