Skip to main content

Proposed temporary fisheries closures at Tangoiro/Waihirere and Motuoroi, north of Gisborne

Update – 26 July 2025

Minister's decision

Following consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has decided to temporarily close Tangoiro/Waihirere and Motuoroi, north of Gisborne, to the take of finfish and shellfish (including crustaceans and rock lobster) between 26 July 2025 and 25 July 2027, inclusive.

Map of the Tangoiro/Waihirere closure [PDF, 504 KB]

Map of the Motuoroi closure [PDF, 622 KB]

Published Gazette notice of Tangoiro/Waihirere closure [PDF, 25 KB]

Published Gazette notice of Motuoroi closure [PDF, 25 KB]

Customary fisheries management areas, rules, and maps

Background information

Ngāti Wakarara – Ngāti Hau Takutai Kaitiaki Trust requested 2 temporary closures at:

  1. Tangoiro/Waihirere
  2. Motuoroi.

Both areas are north of Gisborne. If granted, the closures would prohibit the take of finfish and shellfish (including crustaceans and rock lobster) for 2 years, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996.

The request followed a rāhui and previous temporary closures. The request stated that additional time was needed for:

  • further population recovery after Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle
  • data collection over a sufficient timescale
  • to establish longer-term protection strategies.

Fisheries New Zealand invited written submissions from the public interested in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the areas.

We accepted submissions from 20 May to 18 June 2025.

Letter requesting the closures

Tangoiro Waihirere and Motuoroi Temporary Closure Request 2025 (Redacted) [PDF, 1 MB]

The proposed closure areas

The area of the proposed Tangoiro/Waihirere temporary closure covered about 0.7 square kilometres and included the fisheries waters offshore of Tangoiro and Waihirere beaches. The proposed area excluded the rock platform at the southern end of Waihirere Beach.

Map of the proposed Tangoiro/Waihirere temporary closure [PDF, 625 KB]

The area of the proposed Motuoroi temporary closure covered about 1.2 square kilometres and included the fisheries waters between Motuoroi Island and the mainland, from the Lockwood Woolshed to south of the shore caves.

Map of the proposed Motuoroi temporary closure [PDF, 637 KB]

Map of both proposed temporary closures [PDF, 519 KB]

Public notice

A public notice about the call for submissions appeared in the Gisborne Herald on Tuesday 20 May 2025.

About temporary 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 closures

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