Skip to main content

Proposed further temporary closure at Mair Bank and Marsden Bank, Marsden Point, Whangārei, to the harvest of all shellfish

Have your say

The Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board, on behalf of the Patuharakeke hapū, has requested a further 2-year temporary closure to the harvest of all shellfish from Mair Bank and Marsden Bank, Marsden Point, Whangārei.

Consultation opened on 10 April and we must get your submission before 5pm on Monday 18 May 2026.

Proposed closure area

The approximate area of the proposed closure is 1.46 square kilometres. It includes the fisheries waters at Mair Bank and Marsden Bank:

  • starting at the end of the Marsden Point Marine Terminal jetty
  • then proceeding to the Whangārei Harbour main channel port-hand buoys numbers 18, 16, and 14
  • then proceeding in a westerly direction to the mean high-water mark.

Map of the proposed Mair Bank and Marsden Bank temporary closure [PDF, 725 KB]

Closure request document

Request for the temporary closure [PDF, 675 KB]

Appendices to the request: evidence and letter of support

Making your submission

Submissions close at 5pm on Monday 18 May 2026.

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 notice

A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Northern Advocate (10 April 2026) and Bream Bay News (23 April 2026). 

Information about temporary fishery 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.

Find out more about temporary measures

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