Your views sought
Nga Hapū o Karangahape marae, Whānau pani, Ngāti Kaitangata, and Ngāti Kauwau have requested a temporary closure of the scallop fishery in the Whangaroa area (Northland).
The request is for a 2-year closure.
Fisheries New Zealand wants your feedback about the request. You may have an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area.
Reasons for the closure request
Nga Hapū o Karangahape marae, Whānau pani, Ngāti Kaitangata, and Ngāti Kauwau consider that a temporary closure will:
- recognise and provide for the customary management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of their non-commercial fishing rights
- allow time for scallop stocks in the area to replenish and regenerate.
The request document sent to Fisheries New Zealand [PDF, 902 KB]
The proposed closure area
The proposed temporary closure covers all that area of New Zealand fisheries waters enclosed by a line:
- starting at a point on the mean high-water mark at Berghan Point (Te Whatu) at 34°54.780'S and 173°33.510'E; then
- proceeding in a straight line in an east south-easterly direction to a point offshore north of Stephenson Island (Mahinepua Island) at 34°57.190'S and 173°46.890'E; then
- proceeding in a straight line in a south-easterly direction to a point on the mean high-water mark on the eastern side of the entrance to Whangaihe bay at 34°59.540'S and 173°49.060'E; then
- proceeding along the mean high-water mark to the starting point.
The closure includes Whangaroa Harbour, and the fisheries waters around Motutara Island, Wekarua Island (Sugar Loaf), Stephenson’s Island, and Oruatemanu Island.
Map of the proposed Whangaroa area temporary closure [PDF, 2.2 MB]
Making your submission
Send us your submissions before 5pm on Monday 10 May 2021.
Email FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Planning and Allocations
Fisheries Management
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.
Public notice about the closure
A public notice about the call for submissions was scheduled to appear in the Northern Advocate and the Northland Age newspapers on 16 March 2021.
What are temporary closures?
Temporary closures and restrictions on fishing methods recognise and provide for tangata whenua customary fishing rights and management practices. The closures apply to recreation, commercial, and customary fishing.
Anyone can request a temporary closure for up to 2 years, but the legislation was designed for customary use. To be approved, the Minister of Fisheries must consider the temporary closure will benefit tangata whenua.
The laws around temporary closures are in section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.
Submissions are public information
Note that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have a good reason for withholding it. That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision Fisheries New Zealand makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.
