Kaitiakitanga - customary management in the Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands has a mātaitai reserve, a taiāpure area and a rahui, or temporary closure under section 186a of the Fisheries act.
Te Puna Mātaitai
No commercial fishing, 3 year mussel closure
Covers 20 km2 bordering the Purerua Peninsula, Black Rocks and Moturoa Island. No commercial fishing is allowed, the rohe moana committee setting rules that apply to all fishers.
Maunganui Bay Rahui
No fishing except gathering kina
The rahui has been in place since 2010. The area is closed to all types of fishing, except gathering of kina, under Section 186A of the Fisheries Act.
Waikare Taiāpure
No regulations made yet
The Waikare Taiāpure has been in place since 1997. A committee nominated by the local Maori community advises the Minister of Fisheries on regulations to make under s.175 of the Fisheries Act to control all types of fishing within the local area. No regulations have yet been established.
Two Rohe Moana areas
Two gazetted Rohe Moana areas in the Bay of Islands. A Rohe Moana area is where Kaitiaki are appointed for the management of customary food gathering.
The Bay of Islands has two Rohe Moana areas. They divide the Bay approximately in two and extend out to the edge of the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone.
One has been established by Ngā Hapū o Taiamai ki Te Marangai in the west, the other by Patukeha and Ngati Kuta hapū of Te Rawhiti in the east.
The Bay of Islands rohe moana boundaries
All of us with an interest and love of Tangaroa, let's work together and take on the challenge of marine protection for the Bay.