Draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan

Consultation background

Fisheries New Zealand sought feedback on the Draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan.

Draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan [PDF, 4.5 MB]

Summary of what was proposed

Revitalising the Gulf was released in June 2021 and provided Government leadership across how we manage one of the country’s most valued and intensively used coastal spaces. It set out a package of marine conservation and fisheries management actions to restore a healthy Hauraki Gulf.

One of the key actions in Revitalising the Gulf was the development of a fisheries plan under section 11A of the Fisheries Act 1996.

When approved, it would be New Zealand's first area-based fisheries plan. It would set out how we would take an ecosystem-based approach to managing fisheries, and the effects of fishing, within the Hauraki Gulf.

The draft plan proposed a range of integrated management actions including:

• removing bottom trawl and Danish seine fishing except within limited areas or "trawl corridors" (subject to further consultation by mid-2023)
• improved management of scallop fisheries in the Hauraki Gulf
• restoring fisheries abundance at the stock level and within the Gulf through management strategies to address localised depletion
• reviewing intertidal harvesting controls
• supporting greater mana whenua and regional participation in fisheries management.

Find out more about Revitalising the Gulf

Ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Hauraki Gulf

The draft plan demonstrated the Government's commitment to progress an ecosystem-based fisheries management approach. It would be supported by a fisheries indicator and monitoring framework, which was being developed in collaboration with Sustainable Seas.

A plan developed though collaboration

Fisheries New Zealand worked closely with the Sea Change Ministerial Advisory Committee to respond to The Sea Change Plan's recommendations for fisheries management and development of the Draft Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan.

Further discussion with our treaty partners and stakeholders helped shape the proposals in the draft Fisheries Plan.

Work is underway

Immediate action is needed to restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf. This includes progressing the Trawl Corridors Project in parallel with the development of the wider fisheries plan.

Establishing trawl corridors was a management action in the draft plan, signalling the commitment to progressing this key piece of work. This action was part of a suite of measures within the plan to help achieve the objectives and long-term desired outcomes for fisheries in the Hauraki Gulf.

We welcomed feedback on these outcomes, objectives, and actions, including the proposal to establish trawl corridors, during public consultation on the draft plan.

Find out more about the trawl corridors project, including the timeframe for public consultation on trawl corridor options