Associate Minister of Fisheries, Parekura Horomia, has announced the establishment of two new mätaitai reserves in Hawke Bay.

“The Moremore Mataitai Reserves cover traditional fishing grounds, important to the people of Ngäi Te Ruruku o Te Rangi – the area’s tangata whenua,” says Parekura Horomia.

“These areas, approved as mätaitai reserves will allow the tangata whenua to manage their traditional fisheries.”

At the same time as approving the mätaitai reserves in Hawke Bay, the Minister of Fisheries, David Benson-Pope also approved mätaitai reserves at Raukokore (East Cape) and over part of the Mataura River in Southland.

“In approving these reserves the Minister also had to consider the effects these reserves would have on the local community and recreational and commercial fishers. He decided some are not affected, and others will experience only limited effects.

Ngäi Te Ruruku o Te Rangi wanted these mätaitai reserves established to help improve management of areas historically of importance to them.

They plan to conduct surveys of fisheries resources in the reserves and investigate the possibility of fish stock enhancement techniques and reseeding programmes. They may also recommend bylaws to the Minister to help restore and enhance fish stocks in the reserves.

“This is a great example of local Maori taking responsibility for their traditional fisheries,” says Mr Horomia. “Creation of these reserves is simply a reaffirmation of their rights and responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi to manage their traditional fisheries.

“The 1992 Deed of Settlement upheld these rights and responsibilities, and the consequent customary fishing regulations and the 1996 Fisheries Act provides the tools and framework for doing so.”

These customary management tools are spelled out in the ‘South Island’ and ‘Kaimoana’ customary fishing regulations. They include provisions for the appointment of Tangata Kaitiaki in the North Island, and the establishment of mätaitai reserves.

Tangata Kaitiaki can recommend bylaws that will help the sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources in a reserve. However, The Minister of Fisheries is ultimately responsible, and must sign off on any bylaw before it becomes operative.

The Ministry of Fisheries has increased its resourcing in the customary fishing area to improve the Crown’s delivery of its Deed of Settlement obligations. It has also streamlined its processing of spatial application tools, such as mätaitai reserves.

Background: customary fisheries management

The ‘South Island’ and ‘Kaimoana’ (North and Chatham Islands) customary fishing regulations allow tangata whenua to become more involved in managing their customary fisheries, including the issuing of authorisations for traditional harvest.

These regulations were introduced via the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992, and define how customary fishing can take place, as well as the rights and responsibilities of tangata whenua in managing their customary fisheries.

They support the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi, as expressed in the 1992 Settlement Act, and offer tangata whenua greater opportunities for managing not only customary fisheries but also provides for their input and participation into wider fisheries management measures.

Under the ‘Kaimoana’ regulations, Tangata Kaitiaki are responsible for managing customary take within their ‘rohe moana’. These Kaitiaki are formally appointed by the Minister of Fisheries after a notification process and, if required, a dispute resolution process.

What opportunities do the customary regulations provide?
As well as providing for customary take – through authorisations by Tangata Kaitiaki , nominated by the local iwi or hapu - the regulations provide for increased input by tangata whenua into the management of local, non-commercial fisheries in fishing areas that have traditionally been of special significance to them.

By recognising a section of coast or sea that has traditionally been used for customary food gathering as ‘rohe moana’ (customary areas), tangata whenua can then manage that area using the relevant customary fishing regulations. This may lead to them establishing mätaitai reserve management areas within this rohe, if they wish - under the South Island regulations mätaitai reserves may also cover freshwater fisheries.

A mätaitai reserve effectively allows tangata whenua to manage local non-commercial fisheries, in partnership with the Ministry of Fisheries.

How does the partnership work?
Tangata Kaitiaki, nominated by the tangata whenua, can manage their areas by recommending by-laws to the Minister of Fisheries. By-laws may restrict or prohibit the taking of fish from within the whole or any part of a mätaitai reserve for any purpose the Kaitiaki considers necessary for the sustainable utilisation of the resources in the reserve.

The Minister is ultimately responsible for New Zealand’s fisheries, and must sign off on any fishery management action a Tangata Kaitiaki recommends before it becomes operative.

The Ministry of Fisheries provides the Tangata Kaitiaki with management support and recommendations, and also provides advice to the Minister of Fisheries on any management proposal.

For this reason, a partnership approach between tangata whenua and the Ministry is important.

Are mätaitai reserves just for tangata whenua?
Controls on non-commercial fishing within mätaitai reserves must apply equally to all people with only one exception: if a reserve is closed for general harvesting, the Tangata Kaitiaki may approve the taking of seafood to meet the needs of the marae belonging to the tangata whenua of the reserve.

Where have other mätaitai reserves been established?
There are three other mätaitai reserves. Te Whaka a Te Wera mätaitai reserve on Stewart Island was established late last year. Other reserves – Rapaki and Koukourarata - have been established around Banks Peninsula, in the South Island.

At the same time as approving the mätaitai reserves in Hawke Bay, the Minister has also approved mätaitai reserves at Raukokore (East Cape) and over part of the Mataura River in Southland.

These management areas are all examples of where the customary regulations have lead to a process that aims to improve management of local fisheries by tangata whenua.