How would you react to finding a leopard seal lazing on your local marina pier or a seal pup out for a day on the town at the local KFC?
Matt Rayner explains that allowing some fishing in proposed High Protection Areas overlooks the complex interdependencies in Gulf ecosystems.
The Hauraki Gulf Forum commissioned this report on the potential impacts of exotic Caulerpa
This week, Hauraki Gulf Forum Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui-ā-Toi headed to Motutapu Island for its first hui of 2026 - unifying members for a bold new term.
The journey took the Forum through the adjacent recently-designated High Protection Area where a last minute amendment to the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025 enabled ring-net commercial fishing. Laurie Beamish shared his whakaaro on the protections with the Forum, and kōrero flowed.
The hui took place at the historic Reid Homestead, having been welcomed onto Motutapu by mana whenua, Ngai Tai ki Tamaki. The motu is significant to the Forum's history and during the hui, Nicola MacDonald paid tribute to the Motutapu Accord at its near-35th anniversary. Signed by iwi of Te Moananui-ā-Toi in 1992, The Accord asserted the importance of upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the management of the Hauraki Gulf - Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-a-Toi.
The Forum re-elected Councillor (Cr) Warren Maher of Waikato Regional Council as its second Co-Chair to work alongside Tangata Whenua Co-Chair Nicola Rata-MacDonald. The move marks significant confidence in the co-governance pairing.
"It is an exciting time for the Forum as we welcome new and returning members following the local government elections," says Co-Chair Nicola Rata-MacDonald. “I am heartened by the genuine passion and commitment we are seeing and I’m delighted to again be steering the waka alongside Cr Maher.”
Cr Warren Maher brings extensive business and governance experience to the role. A keen recreational fisher, he has served as President of the Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club for 11 years and is a current board member of the NZ Sports Fishing Council.
“We have significant work ahead, not least to progress the restoration of the seafloor; bottom trawling must come to an end in the Marine Park. It is also concerning to see recent proposals for allowing undersized fish to be landed and sold by commercial fisheries as part of the Fisheries Amendment Bill. Just another step in the wrong direction in achieving sustainable fishing practices. There is strong alignment from those around the Forum table on these issues, and a renewed energy for the mahi ahead,” says Maher.
With seven new members appointed to the Forum following the Local Government elections in 2025, this was the first opportunity for members to connect and speak to their intentions.
The Forum signalled its commitment to workstreams aimed at reversing the decline of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and will publish the eighth State of Our Gulf report. Pattle Delamore Partners Ltd (PDP) were introduced to Members having been selected through a competitive process to produce the report to assess environmental trends in the rohe and champion the voices of communities.
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Alex Rogers Councillor Victoria Short - Albany Ward Christine Fletcher Bianca Ranson Charmaine Bailie Robyn Sinclair Katina Conomos Beth Rose Department of Conservation - Auckland Auckland Council ... See MoreSee Less
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All tribes, iwis and hapus unite against greed and corruption
We’re loving the rogue entrant, Jono Ridler, for Te Ika o te Tau | Fish of the Year.
He is a hardworking contributor among the ecosystem of advocates who want to see an end to bottom trawling in our waters.
We’d still love to see the tāmure | snapper included in the top ten - as another hardworking contributor to a healthy moana.
(Nice to see the manaia in there though!) ... See MoreSee Less
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Ha ha - that’s awesome, go Jono!
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Seabirds are sentinel species; indicators of the health of the moana and ecosystems on which they depend.
Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi is an internationally important seabird hotspot. It is a big responsibility and the poor health of these kororā signals that we need to do better in the Marine Park. ... See MoreSee Less
Kororā chicks found malnourished and dead in Waiheke nesting boxes
www.1news.co.nz
Rising sea temperatures and over-fishing are causing major food shortages for the kororā, rescue centres are reporting severely underweight chicks and young adults in the Bay of Plenty and Hauraki Gu...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🐟 The race starts now!
🗳️ Voting has opened for Te Ika o te Tau | Fish of the Year 2026.
Hosted by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust the list of contenders is controversial (how did the spectacled triplefin | ruanoho whero make the cut, but none of the other 25 species of triplefins in Aotearoa? And, how can the hagfish | tuaru compete with the rainbow stripes of the Sandager’s wrasse | tāngahangaha?)
Well, we’re backing the tāmure | snapper, because - if allowed - they truly are the rulers of the reef (along with the kōura | crayfish of course but they aren’t on the list either 😆).
Adult tāmure | snapper play a crucial role in keeping kina | urchin numbers under control. They deserve some recognition for the role they have in our underwater ecosystems. We’ve seen what happens when the kōura and tāmure are thinned out and kina can boom - munching their way through crucial kelp habitats in Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-a-Toi.
So get your votes in for the fish of the year 2026! May the best ika win 🥇
Link in the comments.
#oceanconservation #30x30 #marineprotection ... See MoreSee Less
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Vote now: www.mountainstosea.org.nz/fish-of-the-year
if i carnt understand half the headline im not interested
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🦀 Rockpools get a two-year reprieve, thanks to mana whenua leadership! 🦀
The Hauraki Gulf Forum welcomes today’s announcement by Government to uphold the application made by Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust for a two-year closure on rockpool harvesting within areas of the Trust’s rohe (along the east coast of Auckland, including the Hauraki Gulf islands, within the Rodney and Hibiscus Bays Local Board boundaries).
📢 The announcement, made by the Minister for Fisheries Shane Jones, recognises the ecological vulnerability of rockpools and the importance of sustainable management. The concern expressed is heartening in the context of the wider marine environment where there is so much more mahi to do.
🗺️ The closure provides statutory support (under s.186A of the Fisheries Act) for the rāhui to be laid by Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust. It also gives some much-anticipated clarity on rules. A new map shows where the shoreline restrictions are alongside High Protection Areas and Marine Reserves.
Nicola Rata-MacDonald Co-Chair of the Forum, said “People will do the right thing if they know the rules. Connecting with the community enables these rules to be communicated in the most effective way, so that everyone understands them and feels safe.”
“Rockpools are essential parts of our coastal and marine environment and the taonga species that live there play a crucial role within the wider ecosystem. They are also where our tamariki get their first glimpse of our incredible marine life. It’s where the learning starts – and the appreciation that everything is connected. This reprieve allows our rockpools to recover and regenerate.”
🌊 Many areas of shoreline within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park have been under significant pressure for years, and the Forum welcomes these restrictions, that come into force on 12th March 2026. It looks forward to engaging in the broader programme of work underway by Fisheries NZ for managing intertidal areas around Tāmaki Makaurau and the Coromandel indicated by the Minister.
Hauraki Gulf Forum Executive Officer, Beth Rose supported the ongoing strategy development for better management of these sensitive shorelines: "We’re fortunate that mana whenua are keeping watch along the coasts; stepping up with rāhui to protect marine life. Ultimately, they shouldn’t have to lay rāhui; it is a stressful point to get to.”
“Government’s support for closing rockpool harvesting in this rohe adds to the broader patchwork of much-needed protections that are gradually increasing in Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi, which the Forum has continuously advocated for. An ambitious, holistic, collaborative, and faster-paced approach is needed if we are to see lasting abundance return to this nationally-significant Marine Park,” she said.
www.haurakigulfforum.org.nz
📸: pāpaka nui | purple rock crab ... See MoreSee Less
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It needs to be a broader area not just north Auckland but extended south as well as the west coast, sadly it's just going to create more intensive destruction everywhere else. We need more marine reserves and Rahul and a full ban on both coastlines of Auckland to get some restoration and to stop the constant rape and pillage of our Moana.
The 2 year ban is really great news. But let's be honest here. This ban had nothing to do with "mana whenua leadership." The rockpool harvesting ban was advocated & petitioned over 4 years ago by a passionate Omaha local - Mary Couple. NM did not support the ban and so a Section 186A was not passed & so the pillaging of our rockpools could have been stopped over 4 years ago. Thanks to the relentless advocacy by Army Bay locals especially Mark Lenton forming the Protect Whangaparāoa Rockpools (PWR) group, this ban would never have been bought into effect. It was only thanks for their persistent efforts that they managed to get Ngati Manuhiri to finally apply for the Section 186A. I think in fairness, credit where credit is due. We are all in this together to ensure that our future mokos have kaimoana to gather and our eco system remains intact for future generations. Ka rawe to all involved in this amazing effort!
Every kiwi should be acknowledged for their kaitiakitanga and efforts. These places are special to us all. It is a collective effort and just huge cheer to the locals for bringing to attention what has been obvious for a while. Mark Lenton has been very instrumental in protecting the coastal area and what a legend quite frankly. The ban needs to go further.
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He’s about to reach Tāmaki Makaurau..
Jono Riddler has been swimming towards Tīkapa Moana - Te Moananui-ā-Toi since the 5th of January, stopping off at coastal communities along the way to talk about his plight: to ban bottom trawling in Aotearoa.
The Hauraki Gulf Forum Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui-ā-Toi has consistently raised concerns about destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling and Danish seining.
It’s fascinating to watch his 1000 mile mission with Live Ocean which began at Waikuku Beach at Otou, North Cape. His destination? Parliament. 🏊♂️
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