Hi my name is Bennet, and I’m 9 years old.
This summer at the beach we saw some people who caught 2 small octopus and stuffed them alive into clear containers, with no water. I was upset because octopus are smart and they can suffer, and I couldn’t do anything to help them.
I didn’t know if there was a size or catch limit so I wrote to the Ministry for Primary Industries – Fisheries to ask them. They sent back a reply saying you are allowed 50 per person, per day, and that they were classified as shellfish.
I thought this was way too much because our family, including Nana, could then take 350 a day if we wanted to. I think octopus should be in a difference category than shellfish. Every octopus killed is an octopus out of the food chain.
So I’ve written a letter to send back to the Fisheries Minister, Stuart Nash, and I’m trying to collect as many signatures as possible so he knows other people want this too. If a lot of people sign my letter, or write in too, it could make a big difference. I got all the kids in my class and other people I know to sign my letter, but thought we could reach more people with KCC’s help.
I’m asking for a big decrease in the octopus catch limit, and better rules to protect octopus welfare when they are caught.
Can you help me please by signing this petition.
