Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries
Have your say
Te Rūnanga o Moeraki has requested a temporary closure of fisheries waters near Moeraki, Otago. The requested closure would prohibit the taking of all shellfish, including crustaceans, for 2 years, under section 186B of the Fisheries Act 1996.
The request is intended to temporarily stop fishing pressure on the shellfish fisheries, and in particular on tuaki (cockles), to give populations an opportunity to rebuild.
Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from anyone who has an interest in the fish stock concerned or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.
This consultation opened on 4 March and we are accepting submissions until 5pm on 20 April 2026.
Request for the closure from Te Rūnanga o Moeraki
Closure application from Te Rūnanga o Moeraki [PDF, 286 KB]
The proposed closure area
The area of the proposed Moeraki temporary closure covers about 1.3 square kilometres and includes the fisheries waters out to 500 m offshore, starting near the northern end of the Moeraki Boulders/Kaihinaki Walk and extending southwards along Moeraki Beach to the headland at the eastern edge of Onekakara Bay.
Map of the proposed Moeraki temporary closure [PDF, 529 KB]
Making your submission
The closing date for submissions is 5pm on Monday 20 April 2026.
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 Otago Daily Times on Wednesday 4 March 2026.
Related information
Section 186B of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Director-General of the Ministry for Primary Industries 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 is likely to assist in recognising and providing for the use and management practices of tangata whenua in the exercise of non-commercial fishing rights.
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.
