Have your say
Taranaki iwi and hapū have requested a 2-year closure over an area in western Taranaki to the harvest of:
- all shellfish, including crayfish
- all seaweeds, excluding beach cast seaweed
- all anemones
- all stingrays
- conger eel species (Conger wilsoni and Conger verreauxi).
The request has been made under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.
It follows a rāhui and previous temporary closure. The request states that more time is needed:
- for further population recovery
- for data collection over a sufficient time scale
- to establish longer-term protection strategies.
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the species concerned, or in the effects of fishing in the area.
Consultation documents
Request from Taranaki iwi and hapū for the western Taranaki temporary closure. [PDF, 4.9 MB]
Species list submitted by iwi and hapū affected by closure [PDF, 131 KB]
Area boundary of the proposed closure
The proposed area is approximately 234 square kilometres along about 63 km of coastline.
Map of the proposed western Taranaki temporary closure. [PDF, 2 MB]
Making your submission
Submissions close at 5pm on Monday 30 September 2024.
Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Fisheries Management – Spatial Allocations
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.
Public notices
Public notices about the call for submissions are scheduled to appear in the:
- Taranaki Daily News on 21 August
- Opunake and Coastal News on 21 August
- Stratford Press on 21 August
- Taranaki Star on 22 August.
Related information
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
If approved, the temporary closure will prohibit recreational and commercial fishing, and customary fishing in most of the closure area. Customary fishing in an area near Opunake will be managed under the Fisheries (Kaimoana Customary Fishing) Regulations 1998.
Fisheries (Kaimoana Customary Fishing) Notice (No. 1) 2011 (No. F 578) – Gazette
