Patuharakeke Hapū Propose New Mātaitai Reserves to Restore Bream Bay Customary Fisheries

Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board is moving forward with a vision to restore the health of Northland's marine environments through the proposal of two new mātaitai reserves. Reported by RNZ on 29 July 2026, the plan seeks to establish traditional management over 115 square kilometres of Bream Bay and parts of the Whangārei Harbour, alongside a smaller one-square-kilometre reserve at Marsden and Mair Banks. Patuharakeke Rohe Moana Committee spokesperson Juliane Chetham says the primary objective, as stated in the application, is to protect and restore customary fisheries for present and future generations. Chetham, who also leads the hapū resource management unit, notes that the hapū has been exploring customary management tools under the Fisheries Act since 2009. The immediate change under a mātaitai would be a ban on commercial fishing, though the hapū remains open to discussing exemptions or boundary adjustments with the few local commercial fishers who may be affected. A key focus for the kaitiaki is the recovery of shellfish beds, particularly pipi, which have long been under a rolling two-year ban due to low numbers. Chetham explains that a mātaitai provides a more nuanced approach than the current "blunt tool" of total closure. In the future, it could allow for specific bylaws, such as seasonal harvesting, once scientists and the hapū agree that populations have reached abundance. Fisheries NZ is currently consulting on the proposal, with a public meeting scheduled for Thursday evening at the Marsden Yacht and Boat Club in One Tree Point. While recreational fishing is not banned under mātaitai regulations, the hapū views the reserves as a vital "pou in the ground" to ensure sustainable management of their rohe moana despite external pressures like industrial expansion and sand mining.