People stripping rockpools along the Auckland and Coromandel coastlines will be banned from taking most marine life from next month alongside tougher daily limits and plans for instant fines as the Government targets a "selfish few" overharvesting kaimoana.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced the indefinite closure, which covers the intertidal zone, the stretch of beach, rocky shore and rockpool between the high-tide mark and where the water reaches 2m deep.
The ban, covering Auckland's east and west coasts, Waiheke Island and the Coromandel, takes effect from November 1.
Jones said rockpool fossicking had been enjoyed by generations of New Zealanders but that it was being "exploited by a selfish few" taking too much.
"This behaviour is endangering these fragile ecosystems and putting at risk our beloved coastal areas."
Under the closure, gatherers will no longer be able to take marine invertebrates such as cat's eyes, mussels, limpets, chitons and periwinkles from the zone. Some species remain open to harvest under their own catch limits, including cockles, crabs, kina, octopus, oysters, pāua, pipi, rock lobster, scallops, sea cucumbers, prawns, squid and tuatua.
"This will protect a broad range of species that are vulnerable to overharvesting and other pressures, while keeping access to highly valued species that can sustainably be caught in the intertidal zone, such as rock lobster and squid," Jones said.
New daily limits
The new daily limits across the Auckland-Coromandel area are 10 crabs, one octopus, 50 prawns or shrimps, five sea cucumbers and 10 squid.
The daily limit for green-lipped mussels drops from 25 to 10 per person outside the closure, while mussel gathering inside the intertidal zone will be banned outright.
A new limit of 10 a day also applies to any shellfish without its own limit, such as barnacles, chitons and starfish, outside the intertidal zone.
"This is to reduce the risk of overharvesting activity shifting to offshore or subtidal areas," Jones said.
Instant fines on the way
Fisheries officers will educate people about the new rules from November 1, with those breaking them potentially facing prosecution. Work is underway by the Government to establish an infringement regime enabling officers to issue on-the-spot fines.
Under-secretary for oceans and fisheries Jenny Marcroft said officers would still use discretion.
"For example, tamariki exploring the rockpools with a bucket and spade will not face punishment for their curiosity. But where it is obvious our rockpools are being cleared out of all marine life through greed and selfishness, authorities will act."
The protesters say Whangaparāoa’s intertidal zone and rock pools have been cleaned out over the years. (Source: 1News)
Fines for breaching existing daily limits, which range from $250 to $500, will continue to apply.
Jones said most submitters during public consultation had wanted wide-reaching restrictions.
"While I am reluctant to close our coastlines, it is a necessary step," he said.
The closure builds on existing site-specific shellfish closures, including restrictions placed on the northern Hauraki Gulf earlier this year after intertidal fisheries and rockpools there had come under significant pressure.
Existing closures, such as the east coast scallop fishery and the inner Hauraki Gulf spiny rock lobster closure, remain in force.
The new rules will stay in place until revoked by the minister, with ongoing monitoring to assess whether further measures are needed.
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