UPDATE – 29 April 2020
The Minister of Fisheries has approved the bylaws
The bylaws for the Whakaraupō Mātaitai Reserve prohibit the harvest of shellfish, other than pāua, tuaki (cockles), pipi, kūtai (mussels), pāpaka (crabs) or tio (oysters).
New daily shellfish bag limits are:
- 5 pāua
- 30 tuaki (cockles)
- 30 pipi
- 30 kūtai (mussels)
- 10 pāpaka (crabs)
- 10 tio (oysters).
The bylaws prohibit taking tuaki (cockles) from Walkers Beach (Ōtamahua/Quail Island) and Rec Bay (Purau).
New daily finfish bag limits are:
- 20 pātiki (flounder)
- 2 rāwaru (blue cod)
- 5 hoka (red cod)
- 10 mararī (butterfish)
- 10 moki
- 2 kōiro (conger eel).
Note, the bylaws set a daily limit of 10 finfish, within the maximum combined daily limit of 30, for any other species not named in this list.
The taking of whai repo (skates and rays) from within the Whakaraupō Mātaitai Reserve is prohibited.
These bylaws came into effect on 24 April 2020.
Find out more
The decision briefing paper [PDF, 875 KB]
About this closed consultation
The Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki for the Whakaraupō Mātaitai proposed a package of bylaws to improve fisheries within the mātaitai. They included changes to the daily bag limits for a number of fish, shellfish, and seaweed species within the mātaitai reserve boundaries.
The final date for submissions was 13 December 2019.
Consultation document
Proposed Mātaitai Bylaws for the Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō Mātaitai Reserve [PDF, 632 KB]
What was proposed?
Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiakai for the Whakaraupō Mātaitai proposed bylaws that would ensure sustainability and enhance stocks.
These included:
- setting reduced recreational daily limits for a number of local fish and shellfish species;
- prohibiting taking shellfish other than other than pāua, tuaki (cockles), pipi, kutai (mussels), pāpaka (crabs) or tio (oysters);
- prohibiting taking seaweed except karengo and wakame (Undaria);
- closing 2 areas to taking tuaki to allow for enhancement of those tuaki beds.
Submissions are public information
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Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.
