03/10/2026
A reminder to our whānau and our wider community about the importance of the Horokaka, Toka Tāmure, and Te Hoe mātaitai reserves on Mahia Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay.
For Horokaka and Toka Tāmure rules include:
• No take of beachcast seaweed, cockles, conger eel, deepwater clam, freshwater eel, karengo seaweed, mussels, packhorse rock lobster, pāua, p**i, sea cucumber, seahorse, surf clams, and tuatua.
• A ban on the use of underwater breathing apparatus to gather fish, shellfish, or seaweed.
• A daily limit of three spiny rock lobster and ban of using loops in both mātaitai, and a seasonal closure for Horokaka of spiny rock lobster between 1 May and 30 September each year.
• Seasonal kina closures between 1 April and 30 September for Horokaka, and 1 March and 31 July for Toka Tāmure. A daily limit of 25 applies outside of these dates.
Within Te Hoe mātaitai there is a closure to the take of all shellfish, including rock lobster, from Waikokopu to Opoutama.
Make sure you’re checking the free NZ Fishing Rules app before going out fishing or gathering. The mātaitai rules and maps are found under the closures section.
These areas are taonga for our whānau, our moana and our future generations. They provide an opportunity for kaimoana and marine life to recover, and to practise kaitiakitanga by caring for the places that have cared for us for generations.
Please take the time to understand and respect the rules that apply within these areas. By doing our part, we help ensure that our tamariki and mokopuna can continue to enjoy and gather from a healthy and abundant moana in the years to come.
He taonga te moana.
Tiaki te moana, tiaki te whānau, tiaki ngā uri whakatipu.
