Your views sought
Topi Whānau, Whaitiri Whānau, and Te Rūnaka o Awarua have applied for a mātaitai reserve around the Ruapuke Island Group, Foveaux Strait. This application is made on behalf of landowners of the Ruapuke Island Group.
Fisheries New Zealand invites submissions from people who take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or own quota, and whose ability to take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or whose ownership interest in quota may be affected by the proposed mātaitai reserve.
Topi Whānau, Whaitiri Whānau, Te Rūnaka o Awarua and Fisheries New Zealand have previously consulted with the local community on the application. The application proposes a number of conditions to allow specified commercial fishing activities to continue.
Find out more about the first consultation with the local community (closed 19 August 2024)
What's being proposed?
The approximate area of the proposed mātaitai reserve includes the South Island fisheries waters around the Ruapuke Island Group, Katiapā (Seal Rocks), Papatea / Kauati-a-Tamatea (Green Island), Hinewaikārara (the Hazelburgh Group), Motuharo / Motuhara (Bird Island), Pōhutuwai (White Island), and includes the nearby named and unnamed rocks and islets.
Consultation documents
Map of the proposed Ruapuke mātaitai reserve [PDF, 572 KB]
Application for Ruapuke mātaitai reserve [PDF, 253 KB]
Making your submission
Submissions close at 5pm on Monday 18 November 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 about this consultation
Public notices about the call for submissions are scheduled to appear in the Otago Daily Times, the Southland Times and the Southland Express on Thursday 3 October 2024.
About mātaitai reserves
A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground which tangata whenua have a special relationship with. Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.
Mātaitai reserves also do not affect private landowners’ land titles, or their ability to exercise resource consents for such things as taking water or extracting gravel or sand. Resource consents are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991.
Mātaitai reserves do not have an impact on whitebait or trout fishing.
Find out more about mātaitai reserves
Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 – NZ Legislation
Recreational fishing
When a mātaitai reserve is established, the recreational fishing rules do not change. However, the Tangata Tiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date.
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is generally banned in a mātaitai reserve, however, the application proposes a number of conditions to allow some commercial fishing activities to continue. The proposed conditions are set out in section 6 of the application [PDF, 253 KB]
