About Temporary Closures
The temporary closure concept
Section 186B of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Ministry of Fisheries to temporarily close a fishery, or restrict a method of fishing in lakes, rivers, estuaries and the sea. These closures and restrictions are the traditional Māori approach to sustaining a fishery. The purpose of the closure or restriction is to improve the size and/or availability of fish stocks that have been depleted, or to recognize and provide for the use and management practices of Tāngata Whenua.
Anybody can suggest to the Ministry of Fisheries that a temporary closure or method restriction should be put in place, but the Ministry must provide for the input and participation of Tāngata Whenua and have regard for kaitiakitanga when assessing a proposal.
Temporary closures or method restrictions can be applied for a period not exceeding two years and can apply to particular days, weeks, months or seasons within that two year period. If the objectives for which the temporary closure was put in place are not achieved over the period that it was in place for, Tāngata Whenua can apply for the temporary closure to be extended for further rotations. However it is unlikely that several successive rotations will be implemented – a move to establishing a mātaitai is then probably needed – the very situation now faced by the Tangata Whenua from Kaikoura where restoration of pāua is progressing but not yet complete despite having a temporary closure in place since 2002.
Temporary closures or method restrictions apply to everyone: commercial, recreational and customary fishers. Refer to Appendix 3 of the AMT Guidebook for the establishment process for 186B closures.
See our more general description of Area Management Tools for a fuller comparison of temporary closures with other approaches.
Current temporary closures
- Kaikoura temporary closure to protect shellfish, especially pāua
- Mt Maunganui temporary closure to protect Green-lipped mussels.
