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Proposed temporary fishery closures in the Hauraki Gulf

UPDATE – 3 August 2026

Minister's decision

Following this consultation, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries has imposed temporary 2-year shellfish closures at Umupuia Beach, Te Mātā and Waipatukahu, and at Waiheke Island.

The closures will take effect from 7 August 2026 and end on 6 August 2028.

Local shellfish bans for Gulf extended – Beehive.govt.nz

Details of the closures

  • Umupuia Beach is closed to the take of cockles. The temporary closure includes all that area of New Zealand fisheries waters from Te Puea at the western end of the beach to Whakakaiwhara Point at the eastern end of the beach.
  • Te Mātā and Waipatukahu are closed to the take of cockles, mussels, oysters, and pipi. The temporary closure includes all that area of New Zealand fisheries waters from Ōtaki Creek to Diehard Stream (also known as Onepoto Stream) and offshore one nautical mile.
  • Waiheke Island is closed to the take of mussels, pāua, and packhorse rock lobster. The temporary closure includes all that area of New Zealand fisheries waters within 1 nautical mile of Waiheke Island but excludes Te Matuku Marine Reserve.

Gazette notices

Umupuia Beach [PDF, 71 KB]

Te Mātā and Waipatukahu [PDF, 72 KB]

Waiheke Island [PDF, 73 KB]

Customary fisheries management areas, rules, and maps

Other closures in place

Fisheries (SCA CS Closure) Notice 2023 (MPI 1603) [PDF, 57 KB]

Fisheries (Cape Rodney to Port Jackson Spiny Rock Lobster Closure) Notice 2025 (Notice No. MPI 1922)  [PDF, 37 KB]

Auckland Coromandel area shellfish review

Work on the broader review of measures for shore-based shellfish harvesting in the Auckland-Coromandel area is ongoing. Updates will be posted on Review of measures for shore-based shellfish harvesting in the Auckland-Coromandel area

Background to this consultation

Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamaterā, and Ngāti Pāoa each requested a further 2-year temporary closure to the harvest of some shellfish species from Umupuia Beach, Te Mātā and Waipatukahu, and Waiheke Island.

The iwi are 3 of the 5 united under the project 'Pou rāhui, pou tikanga, pou oranga: reigniting the mauri of Tīkapa moana and Te Moananui-ā-Toi'. 

Consultation opened on 27 May and closed at 5pm on 3 July 2026. 

Related consultation

Note that separately to this request from Iwi, Fisheries New Zealand is also reviewing the rules for recreational harvesting of shellfish and other invertebrates in the Auckland-Coromandel area under the Fisheries (Amateur Fishing) Regulations 2013.

Review of measures for shore-based shellfish harvesting in the Auckland-Coromandel area

Proposed closures  

We sought feedback on a request for 3 temporary fishery closures in the Hauraki Gulf.  

The temporary fishery closures were requested under section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996. The 2-year closures would prohibit taking certain species from these areas: 

  • Umupuia Beach: closed to the harvest of cockles
  • Te Mātā and Waipatukahu (Thames coast, Coromandel Peninsula): closed to the harvest of oysters, mussels, pipi, and cockles 
  • Waiheke Island (Hauraki Gulf): closed to the harvest of mussels, rock lobster, and pāua.

Documents for the proposed closures 

Request for the temporary closure [PDF, 2.4 MB]

Map of the proposed Umupuia Beach temporary closure [PDF, 461 KB]

Map of the proposed Te Mātā and Waipatukahu temporary closure [PDF, 563 KB]

Map of the proposed Waiheke Island temporary closure [PDF, 525 KB]

Public notices

A public notice about the call for submissions was scheduled to appear in the following newspapers:  

  • NZ Herald, 27 May 2026
  • Waiheke Gulf News, 28 May 2026
  • The Coromandel Informer, 2 June 2026
  • Waiheke Weekender, 4 June 2026.

Related information 

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

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Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

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