Proposed mātaitai reserves on the South Island West Coast

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Te Runanga o Makaawhio has applied to the Minister of Fisheries to establish nine mātaitai reserves in areas along the west coast of the South Island. Pursuant to the Regulation 19(2) of the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999, public meetings are being held for consultation with the local community on the proposed reserves.

The public meetings will be held at the following locations:

Hokitika         Monday 30 March 2009, 7.00pm, St Mary’s School Hall, 87 Sewell Street, Hokitika

Whataroa       Tuesday 31 March 2009, 7.00pm, Whataroa Community Hall, Main Road, Whataroa

Bruce Bay      Wednesday 1 April 2009, 7.00pm, Bruce Bay Hall, State Highway 6, Bruce Bay

Haast             Thursday 2 April 2009, 7.00pm, Haast Rescue Centre Hall, Pauareka Road, Haast Township

Public notices containing details of the required public meetings were published in The Press and the Otago Daily Times on Saturday 21 and 28 March, and a smaller public notice was also published in The West Coast Messenger on Wednesday 25 March.

A copy of the public notice containing details of the public meetings and a map showing the locations of the proposed mātaitai reserve areas are available for download below.

 Download Public Notice (PDF 254KB)

 Download Map Showing the 9 Proposed Areas (PDF 506KB)

A further notice will be advertised after the public meetings to invite written submissions by those who take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or own quota and whose ability to take or whose quota ownership may be affected by the proposed mātaitai reserves.

A previous public notice requesting written submissions on the applications included two other applications which will proceed through a separate consultation process in the near future.

Copies of the applications and maps of the proposed areas are available from:

Spatial Allocations Manager
Ministry of Fisheries
P O Box 1020, Wellington
Randall.Bess@fish.govt.nz

The West Coast Marine Protection Forum will be holding separate consultation at a later date on their proposals for marine protection.

A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground in fisheries waters established for the purpose of non-commercial customary food gathering. A mātaitai reserve applies to all species managed under the Fisheries Act 1996, and does not apply to species managed under the Conservation Act 1987, such as whitebait.

Further information on mātaitai reserves is available here.