Your views sought
Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki has applied for a mātaitai reserve (Puketeraki mātaitai reserve) near Karitāne, north of Dunedin, Otago.
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.
Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki 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 about the consultation with the local community (closed 6 October 2025)
What is being proposed?
The proposed area includes approximately 47.5 square kilometres of South Island fisheries waters enclosed by a line drawn between Cornish Head (Ohineamio) and Purehurehu Point (west of Heyward Point) and the seaward boundary of the East Otago Taiāpure-Local Fishery. The southern boundary of the proposed area between Potato Point and Purehurehu Point is the mean high-water mark.
Consultation documents
Map of the proposed Puketeraki mātaitai reserve [PDF, 706 KB]
Application for Puketeraki mātaitai reserve [PDF, 704 KB]
Making your submission
Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 5 December 2025.
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 on Friday 31 October 2025, and The Star on Thursday 20 November 2025.
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.
Find out more about mātaitai reserves
Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 – NZ Legislation
Recreational fishing
Mātaitai reserves do not change the recreational fishing rules. However, the Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date. These are called mātaitai reserve bylaws. Any proposed bylaws will be consulted on separately with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries.
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is generally banned in a mātaitai reserve. However, the application proposes some commercial fishing activities to be allowed to continue. These activities include vessel anchoring, fish processing, and harvesting rock lobster, paddle crab, Undaria seaweed, and some finfish species. Commercial fishing for blue cod, butterfish, and moki would be prohibited.
The proposed conditions are set out in section 6 of the application.
