Winter rolls on relentlessly here in the Bay although we have had three days respite from gale force winds, torrential rain, and excessive damage to roads and infrastructure. Today is not even cold – sunshine streaming down and just a gentle breeze – which serves only to lull us into a state of unpreparedness for the next burst of wicked weather.
The Bay has been isolated for weeks at a time since May this year. Road washed away, a bridge collapse and some all-time slips that were just too large and deep to push through in the vintage Rodeo 4wd which is my escape capsule of choice. Isolation in itself is not too bad but gets a bit testing when it is accompanied by long power outages, of which we have had more than a few. I am slowly working through the wood pile in an effort to keep the place warm and I am still catching up on my reading.
I used to be a full-on bookworm when I was at sea but over the last ten years or so my interest has been more towards technical articles, fisheries management discussions and some political commentary. I am old enough and still smart enough to know how to vote when the time comes so we can put that aside for now. But the fisheries scene sure is getting more interesting almost by the day.
In previous articles I have drawn attention to the loss of fishing opportunity that is being doled out by various Government agencies, whether by way of the proposed Otago coastal marine reserve network, the Hauraki Gulf protection zones, or the allegedly ‘temporary’ two-year S.186 closures to fishing at various locations, or the declaration of mataitai reserves. There is a bit of everything around at the moment and if I was an active recreational fisherman/ food gatherer I would be paying more attention than I see others closer to the action doing.
I studied the original Otago marine reserve proposals very carefully because if implemented they were going to put colleagues of mine out of business. It was a vanity project from the get-go, furiously driven by a previous Minister of Conservation, notably Eugenie Sage and her Green Party eco-cultist mates. The case for marine protection was grossly misrepresented and opposition was strong locally. Or so many of the locals thought. But somehow DOC managed to do a deal with local Maori and boomfa, the reserve network is a done deal.
Five new marine reserves along the Otago coastline, named Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia, officially came into force on 01 July 2026. These fully protected “no-take” zones cover 308 square kilometres (about 4% of the region’s coastal marine area) and prohibit all fishing, harvesting, and mineral extraction to safeguard vulnerable local wildlife.
A purpose which interestingly enough is not consistent with the purposes and principles of the Marine Reserves Act.
This is the wording of the Act – “It is hereby declared that the provisions of this Act shall have effect for the purpose of preserving, as marine reserves for the scientific study of marine life, areas of New Zealand that contain underwater scenery, natural features, or marine life, of such distinctive quality, or so typical, or beautiful, or unique, that their continued preservation is in the national interest”.
To preserve – for the purposes of scientific study. Yeh, right.
Community reaction to the Otago marine reserves is deeply polarized. Conservationists and Kāi Tahu celebrate the protections as vital for species like the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin). Conversely, recreational and commercial fishers are outraged, citing closed-door negotiations and the displacement of fishing pressure to fewer open areas. I stand with them.
And there are now many instances of fishing being displaced; of effort being squeezed into adjacent fishing grounds, exacerbating the rates of decline of fishing opportunities and fishing success. If you are interested you should check out current applications for two mātaitai reserves at Whangārei Harbour and Bream Bay, Northland; (the applications cite long-term declines in local pipi, kōkota, and kūtai populations, seeking to replace temporary two-year rāhui closures with a more permanent, adaptive management structure). There are current applications for two mātaitai reserves at Banks Peninsula, Canterbury; the proposed extension of a temporary closure of Ōhiwa Harbour in the Bay of Plenty to harvesting mussels; Proposed temporary fishery closures in the Hauraki Gulf (submissions are closed for this one);
There has been some discussion amongst recreational fishing interests in Whangarei and their social media analysis concludes that – “The primary “risk” or change for recreational fishermen lies in how the fishery is managed over time.
Once the reserve is established, the local tāngata tiaki (customary managers) gain the statutory authority to propose specific bylaws to manage the fishery sustainably.
- What bylaws can do: They can restrict/stop recreational take. For example, tāngata tiaki could propose lowering the daily bag limit for certain shellfish, increasing the minimum size for a specific finfish, or banning a particular fishing method (like dredging) within the reserve boundaries.
- The check and balance: Bylaws cannot be implemented overnight or arbitrarily. They must be proposed for the purpose of sustainable management, undergo a separate public consultation process, and ultimately require sign-off from the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.
