The Kai Ika Project

The Kai Ika Project The Kai Ika Project aims to change the way people perceive ‘waste’ through recovering unwanted fish parts and sharing it with people who want them. Educate.

Our filleting service processes your catch and ensures anything you don’t want is fully utilised. The Kai Ika Project was established through a partnership between LegaSea, the Outboard Boating Club of Auckland and the Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae. The project utilises fish heads, frames and offal which were previously going to waste. Since first established in September 2016 over 290,000 kg of previously discarded fish parts have been collected from various sources and redistributed to needy families and community groups all over Auckland. For many these fish parts are prized for their sweet flesh. In te reo, the head of the fish is called rangatira kai or ‘chiefs food’ and is considered a real delicacy.

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Our mission is to minimise our impact on the marine environment through better utilisation of our natural resources. We encourage giving respect to each and every fish harvested and ensure no part of the fish is wasted. When we strip everything back to the bare necessity food insecurity is an environmental issue. We aim to connect New Zealanders and encourage collaboration with outside communities through the appreciation of all parts of kai moana. We hope to adjust people’s perceptions that fish heads are actually a revered food source.

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The Kai Ika Project aims to:

1. Minimise people’s impact on the marine environment.

2. Decrease waste going to landfill..

3. Generate meaningful employment.

4. Increase social, economic and cultural benefits.

5.

23/09/2026

Absolutely mammoth can run recently!
Thank you so much to our partners SteamBrewingCo., Auckland Live, and of course phoenixrecyclingnz for helping us recover over 630kg of cans in one day!

These cans help financially support Kai Ika, while reducing waste. Find your nearest drop off bin at KaiIka.co.nz 🚮

The Kai Ika Project was in the news yesterday. Radio New Zealand came out with a piece highlighting something a lot of u...
21/08/2026

The Kai Ika Project was in the news yesterday. Radio New Zealand came out with a piece highlighting something a lot of us have felt lately, the household budget stretched thinner every week. For some whānau, that pressure means struggling to get kai on the table.
Every week, Kai Ika feeds hundreds of families by sharing fish heads and frames with whānau and community groups across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Some of you might be wondering, where does all that fish actually come from? That's where collaboration and partnership are crucial to enable Kai Ika to share nutritious protein with a community that treasures these parts of the fish.
The bulk of our supply comes from Woolworths and their fish supplier, Hilton Foods, who are committed to the responsible use of their kaimoana. Over the past two years these organisations have helped power Kai Ika here in Auckland. This year alone they have generously donated more than 45,000 kg of kaimoana. Woolworths also backs our kaupapa through its food rescue funding.
But it doesn't stop there. They sat down with Kai Ika and asked how they could do better, what other species or proteins they could bring to the table. That's the difference between a supplier and a partner. Ngā mihi nui to both teams.
Read the full RNZ story here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/food/free-fish-heads-and-frames-snapped-up-as-cost-of-living-bites

This Saturday we're at Silo Park.Come see the new Vector Lights light up the Harbour Bridge for Matariki. We're serving ...
03/07/2026

This Saturday we're at Silo Park.
Come see the new Vector Lights light up the Harbour Bridge for Matariki. We're serving up free Kai Ika soup and hot chocolate from the LegaSea Coffee Cart. Come down, warm your cockles, have a chat with us about what the Kai Ika kaupapa is all about, and enjoy the lights, tunes and vibes at Silo Park.
Saturday 4 July, 4pm to 8pm
Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter
Live music from Majic, DJ Tuāfale and DJ Tyrone
Fire pits and marshmallows
Vector Lights show from 6pm, replaying every 15 minutes until midnight
Full event page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HJ9DVfoaB/
See you there.

22/05/2026

Thanks for having LegaSea Coffee at the Waka Ama Double Header !

28/04/2026

We're hanging up the aprons and putting down the knives for Winter.

Thanks for all the support this year. Every fish you bring to us to process not only helps us keep the filleting station open but also feeds families in need. After all, full bellies build better communities.

Catch you in Spring for more filleting!

We’re asking everyone to get involved right now and help flood social media with a clear, unified message - make a submi...
23/04/2026

We’re asking everyone to get involved right now and help flood social media with a clear, unified message - make a submission opposing the Fisheries Amendment Bill before the chance disappears on 29 April.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill is now in front of the Select Committee, and this is our last real chance to push back before it becomes law. If you do one thing tonight, make a submission here: https://legasea.co.nz/fisheries-amendment-bill-submission-form/

Then share this post, tag your mates, tag your local MPs, and keep it moving. If you’ve got your own audience, feel free to take this message and run with it in your own voice as well, because the more people saying the same thing at the same time, the harder it is to ignore.

This Bill is being framed as progress, but it’s taking us backwards.

It moves us further away from healthy, abundant fisheries and fair access for New Zealanders. It removes key environmental safeguards and allows catch limits to be set without properly considering the impacts on the wider marine environment. It also reduces public input and locks everyday Kiwis out of decisions for years at a time.

The Bill aims to concentrate more control witha handful of quota owners, prioritise exporting our fish, and reduce transparency, including by banning public access to onboard camera footage.

The Bill opens the door to more waste by allowing more fish to be dumped overboard, and proposes removing minimum size limits for some species on commercial boats, meaning juvenile fish can be landed before they’ve had a chance to reproduce. That benefits no one, not even the commercial sector, in the long run.

New Zealand’s fisheries are a public resource, and they must be managed to ensure healthy oceans, abundant fish, and fair access for current and future generations.
We’ve already seen that when people show up and make submissions, it can shift outcomes.

Make your submission, share this post, tag your MP, and bring others with you. Let’s make it impossible to ignore.

Kill the Bill.

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0800 534 273

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