Proposed temporary fishery closures in the Hauraki Gulf

Have your say 

Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamaterā, and Ngāti Pāoa have 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 submissions close at 5pm on 3 July 2026. 

Proposed closures  

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

The temporary fishery closures have been 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, 1 MB]

Map of the proposed Te Mātā and Waipatukahu temporary closure [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Map of the proposed Waiheke Island temporary closure [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Making your submission 

Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions from people who have an interest in the species concerned or in the effects of fishing in the areas concerned. 

In your submission, specify what area (location) you are commenting on. 

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 3 July 2026. 

Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz 

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

Fisheries management – spatial allocations 
Fisheries New Zealand 
PO Box 2526 
Wellington 6140.

Public notice 

A public notice about the call for submissions is 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

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