Target: The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries / Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

Why is this important?

Bream Bay and Whangārei Harbour are national treasures that belong to all New Zealanders. For Bream Bay and surround residents and for those of us who spend our weekends in Bream Bay and responsibly fishing, these waters are an integral part of our lifestyle and community.

Currently, there are applications under consideration for two new mātaitai reserves covering Whangārei Harbour and Bream Bay. We are petitioning the Minister to decline these applications because they fail to meet strict legal criteria and have the potential to lock everyday Kiwis out of their local fisheries.

We firmly believe that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) must retain full, ongoing management of the Bream Bay marine environment.

Here is why these applications must be rejected:

• Failure to Meet Legal Criteria: Under Section 23(1)(e)(i) and (iv) of the Fisheries (Kaimoana Customary Fishing) Regulations 1998, the Minister must be satisfied that a mātaitai reserve will not "unreasonably affect the ability of the local community to take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed for non-commercial purposes". Furthermore, it must not "unreasonably prevent persons taking fish, aquatic life, or seaweed for non-commercial purposes" within the management area. A mātaitai reserve in Bream Bay would unequivocally have the potential to fail this test by severely restricting public access to our local fishery through the bylaw changes to the existing fisheries laws.
• The Lyttelton Warning: We only need to look at the Whakaraupō (Lyttelton Harbour) mātaitai reserves to see how these regulations unreasonably exclude local communities. The recently introduced Ngāti Wheke Mātaitai Reserves Bylaws, coming into force on October 1, 2026, completely prohibit recreational fishers from taking finfish such as blue cod, moki, and butterfish from the reserve. The same bylaws also heavily restrict the harvest of native seaweed and dramatically slash recreational limits on shellfish. Handing over control of Bream Bay opens the door to these exact same prohibitive bylaws, which would devastate our local recreational snapper fishing and severely impact how we gather food for our families.

Here is why MPI must remain in charge:

• Objective, Science-Based Management: MPI is the single best organisation equipped to manage our fisheries. They have the resources, the marine biologists, and the comprehensive data required to monitor fish stocks—like our local snapper populations—across the entire Hauraki Gulf and Northland coast. Effective marine conservation relies on robust, wide-scale scientific evidence, not localised fragmentation.
• Democratic Accountability: MPI is accountable to the government that New Zealanders elect into power. This ensures that the management of our shared marine resources remains transparent, equitable, and subject to the democratic oversight of all citizens. Shifting management to a localized mātaitai reserve removes that direct line of democratic accountability from the wider public.
• Fairness for All Users: The marine environment should be managed for the benefit of all New Zealanders. MPI’s framework balances conservation with the rights of everyday recreational fishers and local property owners who have built their lives around accessing and enjoying this water.
   

Protecting our marine ecosystem is vital, but it must be achieved through equitable, science-backed, and democratically accountable management that respects the rights of the local community.

Sign this petition to tell the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Uphold the law. Decline the Whangārei Harbour and Bream Bay mātaitai applications. Keep the management of our waters in the hands of MPI, guided by science, and managed for all New Zealanders.