Update – 7 October 2022
Minister's decision
Following consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has decided to temporarily close Maunganui Bay to the take of all fisheries resources (except kina) between 14 October 2022 and 13 October 2024, inclusive.
Map of the closed area [PDF, 4.1 MB]
Background to this consultation
Te Kupenga o Ngati Kuta and Patukeha ki Te Rawhiti have requested a further temporary closure to the take of all fisheries resources, except kina, from Maunganui Bay, Bay of Islands. The request was for a 2-year closure.
Fisheries New Zealand invited written submissions in response to the request from people who had an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.
Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in respect of an area, if satisfied that the closure, restriction, or prohibition will recognise and provide for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
Find out more about temporary closures
The closure request
The letter requesting the closure extension [PDF, 88 KB]
Tamati Maunganui Bay report [PDF, 146 KB]
The proposed closure area
The approximate area of the proposed temporary closure includes all those fisheries waters within the following lines:
- commencing at Kariparipa Point (at 35°11.350′S and 174°17.550′E); then
- proceeding in a straight line due west to a point at 35°11.350′S and 174°17.505′E; then
- proceeding in a straight line in a south-westerly direction to a point off the western side of Motuwheteke Island (at 35°12.010′S and 174°17.280′E); then
- proceeding in straight line in a south-south-easterly direction to a point at 35°12.265′S and 174°17.310′E, then
- proceeding in a straight line due east to the mean high-water mark; then
- proceeding along the mean high-water mark to the point of commencement.
Map of the proposed Maunganui Bay temporary closure
Public notice
A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in The Northern Advocate on 6 August 2022.
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
