A large part of the southern Hokianga Harbour has been declared a mātaitai reserve, with commercial fishing banned from the area. Photo / NZME
A large part of the southern Hokianga Harbour has been declared a mātaitai reserve, with commercial fishing banned from the area. Photo / NZME
A mātaitai reserve has been established in the southern Hokianga Harbour, to support customary food gathering for local communities.
Te Mātaitai ō Te Hikutū is a traditional fishing ground for Te Hikutū Hapū and the reserve came into effect on February 20.
The mātaitai reserve covers fisheries waters within partof southern Hokianga Harbour, extending approximately 500 metres from the mean high-water mark between Koutu Point and the mouth of the Whirinaki River, and includes adjoining freshwater fisheries waters.
Under the reserve rules, commercial fishing is prohibited within the mātaitai reserve. Recreational fishing remains subject to the Fisheries (Amateur Fishing) Regulations 2013. Mātaitai reserves apply only to fisheries waters. They do not restrict access to public land, beaches or rivers and they do not affect private land ownership, access rights or land-based activities.
Ngā tāngata kaitiaki ō Te Hikutū (Te Hikutū Hapū) applied for a mātaitai reserve (“Te Mātaitai ō Te Hikutū”) last year and Fisheries New Zealand invited submissions from people having a fishing interest in the stock or stocks in the proposed mātaitai reserve.
Te Hikutū Hapū and Fisheries New Zealand had previously consulted the local community on the application.
This area in southern Hokianga (in yellow) has been declared a mātaitai reserve – Te Mātaitai ō Te Hikutū – to ban commercial fishing and support customary food gathering.
The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, has appointed Joe Wynyard, Greg Wynyard, Bridget Wallace, Whiu Waata, Warren Morunga, Cowley Wihongi and Harley MacKenzie Barlow as tangata kaitiaki/tiaki for the mātaitai reserve.
A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground which tangata whenua have a special relationship with. Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.
Mātaitai reserves also do not affect private landowners’ land titles or their ability to exercise resource consents for such things as taking water or extracting gravel or sand. Resource consents are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991.
When a mātaitai reserve is established, the recreational fishing rules do not change. However, the tangata kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date.
Recommendations for bylaws are consulted on with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.
Commercial fishing is prohibited in a mātaitai reserve but can be reinstated at the request of the tangata kaitiaki for the mātaitai reserve for a specified species, quantity or time period. Mātaitai reserves do not have an impact on whitebait or trout fishing.
