Your views sought
The Motairehe Marae Trust, supported by iwi trust board Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea, has requested a temporary closure to the harvest of scallops, pāua, and rock lobster, from the fisheries waters within 3 nautical miles of:
- Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island)
- Little Barrier Island (Te Hauturu-o-Toi)
- the Mokohinau Islands
- Simpson Rock and Horn Rock.
The request is for a 2-year closure.
After the request was made, the Northland Scallop Fishery (SCA 1) and Coromandel Scallop Fishery (SCA CS), which include the proposed area, were closed to commercial and recreational scallop fishing under section 11 of the Fisheries Act 1996. The Motairehe Marae Trust Board wish to continue with their request to prohibit the harvest of scallops, pāua, and rock lobster to establish their tino rangatiratanga in the decision-making process.
Fisheries (SCA 1 Closure) Notice 2022 (MPI 1455) – New Zealand Gazette
Fisheries (SCA CS Closure) Notice 2023 (MPI 1603) – New Zealand Gazette
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions about the proposed closure from people who have an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.
About temporary closures
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 by:
- improving the availability or size (or both) of a species of fish, aquatic life or seaweed, or
- recognising a customary fishing practice in that area.
Find out more about temporary closures
The closure request and map
The letter from the Motairehe Marae Trust requesting the closure [PDF, 970 KB]
Map of the proposed closure area [PDF, 986 KB]
Related Great Barrier Island Controlled Area Notice
The proposed area includes a Controlled Area Notice that Biosecurity New Zealand placed on Great Barrier Island to minimise the spread of exotic Caulerpa species. This includes Blind Bay, Tryphena Harbour, and Whangaparapara Harbour. A temporary closure would have no effect on any Caulerpa Controlled Area Notice.
The Controlled Area Notice is in place until 31 October 2023.
Controlled Area Notice for Great Barrier Island [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Making your submission
The closing date for submissions is 5pm on 21 August 2023.
Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
Spatial Allocations
Fisheries Management
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.
Public notice
Public notices about the call for submissions are scheduled to appear in The New Zealand Herald and the Barrier Bulletin on 6 July 2023.
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.
