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Proposed temporary fisheries closure in the Hauraki Gulf

Update – 15 February 2026

Minister's decision announced

Following this consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has announced a 2-year closure of the fisheries waters in the following areas of the Hauraki Gulf:

  • Ōmaha Bay: between the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve and the Tāwharanui Marine Reserve, extending offshore to 200 metres. This closure also includes a 200-metre radius around Panetiki Island/The Outpost and the island in Te Kohuroa/Mathesons Bay. 
  • Kawau Bay: between the Tāwharanui Marine Reserve and the Kawau Bay High Protection Area (HPA), extending offshore to 200 metres. 
  • Whangaparāoa Peninsula: between the mouth of the Ōrewa River and the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve, extending offshore for approximately 200 metres. This closure also includes all of Ōkoromai Bay and Te Haruhi Bay. 

The closure prohibits the harvesting of all seaweed species and invertebrate species. An invertebrate means any aquatic life that is a multicellular animal without a backbone or a dorsal spinal column. This includes, but is not limited to, barnacles, cat’s eyes, chitons, cockles, crabs, jellyfish, limpets, mussels, octopus, oysters, pāua, pipi, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, sea snails, sea squirts, sponges, squid, star fish, and tuatua.
 
This closure does not apply to spiny rock lobster and scallops as there are already closures in place for these species. Kina (sea urchin) is also excluded from the closure and can still be taken within the current recreational fishing limits.  
 
The closure will come into effect on 12 March 2026.

Rockpool closures to protect marine life – Beehive.govt.nz
 
Ōmaha Bay and Kawau Bay, Hauraki Gulf temporary closure map [PDF, 804 KB]

Whangaparāoa Peninsula, Hauraki Gulf temporary closure map [PDF, 722 KB]

Fisheries (Ōmaha Bay, Kawau Bay, and Whangaparāoa Peninsula Temporary Closure) Notice (MPI 1973) 2026 [PDF, 41 KB]
 
See closed areas and special restrictions

Consultation background

Ngāti Manuhiri requested 2-year temporary fisheries closure from the Rodney, Hibiscus Coast, and East Coast Bays coastline and some Hauraki Gulf islands.

The requested closure was to prohibit the take of all invertebrate and seaweed species.

Fisheries New Zealand invited written submissions from anyone who had an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.

Consultation document

Request from Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust [PDF, 6.7 MB]

Area boundary of the proposed closure

The proposed area was described by Ngāti Manuhiri as spanning "the east coast of Auckland, including the Hauraki Gulf islands, within the boundaries of the Rodney and Hibiscus Bays Local Boards. The closure was to apply from the intertidal zone down to 1 metre below chart datum."

Map of the proposed temporary closure [PDF, 89 KB]

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

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