Skip to main content

Proposed temporary fisheries closure in western Taranaki

UPDATE – 16 December 2024

Minister’s decision

Following consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has decided to temporarily close Western Taranaki, to the take of shellfish (excluding rock lobster), seaweed (except beach cast seaweed), sea anemones, stingrays, and 2 species of conger eel (Conger wilsoni and Conger verreauxi) between 16 December 2024 and 15 December 2026 inclusive.

Western Taranaki temporary closure [PDF, 600 KB]

Fisheries (Western Taranaki Temporary Closure) Notice 2024 (MPI 1886) [PDF, 38 KB]

Customary fisheries management areas, rules, and maps

Consultation background

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 followed a rāhui and previous temporary closure. The request stated that more time was needed:

  • for further population recovery
  • for data collection over a sufficient time scale
  • to establish longer-term protection strategies.

Fisheries New Zealand invited written submissions from anyone who had 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]

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.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

MPI business units