Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council wants to remind skippers that fishing or taking any kind of marine life from the Motiti Protection Area is banned after 23 boaties were caught in the act over the festive season.
The three offshore reef systems surrounding Motiti Island have been protected since August 2021 when the Motiti Protection Area was established. This occurred after the Environment Court instructed the Regional Council to better look after this marine environment and the taonga (treasured) species that call it home.
Regulatory compliance manager, Matt Harrex, says the settled weather this summer has enabled the Regional Council to conduct more regular patrols, to ensure people are following the rules.
“The rules are clear and apply to everyone equally: You can no longer take marine life from the three areas of the Motiti Protection Area. These protected areas’ locations and boundaries are advertised clearly at all Tauranga boat ramps. They are also charted and publicised over summer, so it’s really disappointing that some boats are still fishing in the area,” he says.
“People who fish have a responsibility to know the rules,” Harrex says. While most of the interactions were first-time occurrences, it was particularly disappointing to see two commercial charter boat operators fishing within the protected area, as they have a responsibility to themselves and their clients to know the rules. These skippers have been fined accordingly.”