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Request for a temporary fisheries closure at Napier Port to the take of all fisheries resources

Update – 24 February 2023

Closing date extended

As parts of our community continue to struggle with the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, we know people are putting in an incredible effort to support the clean-up and recovery.

While the recovery in Hawke’s Bay is ongoing, Mana Whenua Hapū and Fisheries New Zealand have agreed to extend the closing date for submissions from 5pm, on 27 February 2023, to 5pm on 27 March 2023.

Your views sought

Mana Whenua Hapū has requested a temporary closure offshore of Napier Port, Hawkes Bay, to the take of all fisheries resources. The requested closure is for 2 years, and is to be called te Rāhui o Moremore.

Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions in response to the request from anyone who has an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.

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

Map of the proposed closure area

Proposed closure area map [PDF, 408 KB]

Area boundaries

The approximate area of the proposed Te Rāhui o Moremore temporary closure includes all those fisheries waters within the following lines:

  1. Starting at a point offshore approximately 6 km northeast of the port of Napier at 39° 26.160′S and 176° 58.440′E; then
  2. Proceeding in a straight line due east for approximately 325 m to a point offshore at 39° 26.160′S and 176° 58.680′E; then
  3. Proceeding in a straight line due south for approximately 338 m to a point offshore at 39° 26.340′S and 176° 58.680′E; then
  4. Proceeding in a straight line due west for approximately 325 m to a point offshore at 39° 26.340′S and 176° 58.440′E; then
  5. Proceeding in a straight line due north for approximately 338 m to the starting point.

The proposed temporary closure covers approximately 0.11 km².

The closure request

Download a copy of the request

Related information

Find out more about temporary closures

Making your submission

The closing date for submissions is 5pm on 27 March 2023.

Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

Spatial Allocations
Fisheries Management
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

Public notice

A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the Hawke’s Bay Today on Wednesday, 25 January 2023.

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on the MPI 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.

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