Pursuant to Regulations 25 and 26 of the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999, the Minister of Fisheries publishes the following bylaws that he has approved.
Bylaw
1. Title
These bylaws may be cited as the Fisheries (Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve Bylaws) 2020.
2. Revocation and Commencement
These bylaws revoke and replace the Fisheries (Rapaki Bay Mataitai Reserve Bylaws) Notice 2000 (No. F165) published in the New Zealand Gazette, 7 December 2000, No. 164, page 4257 and come into effect 28 days after the date of notification in the New Zealand Gazette.
3. Interpretation
In these bylaws:
- “Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve” means the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve declared by the Fisheries (Declaration of Mātaitai Reserve) Notice 1998 (New Zealand Gazette, 17 December 1998, No. 200, page 4762)
- Length means in relation to shellfish the greatest diameter of the shell
- Unless the context otherwise requires, terms have the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 and section 2 of the Fisheries Act 1996.
4. Approval of Bylaws for the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve
The Minister has approved the following bylaws for the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve:
Reporting
Bylaw 1—Fishing to be Reported
All fishing within the Rāpaki Bay Mataitai Reserve is to be reported to the Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki of the Reserve within five (5) days by filing a catch return form available from the Rāpaki Marae Office
Finfish
Bylaw 2—Prohibition on Taking Whai Repō (Skates and Rays)
No person may take whai repō (skates and rays) from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Bylaw 3—Maximum Daily Limits on Finfish Stocks
No person may, in any one day, take more than:
- Twenty (20) pātiki (flounder);
- Two (2) rāwaru (blue cod);
- Five (5) hoka (red cod);
- Ten (10) mārari (butterfish);
- Ten (10) moki;
- Two (2) kōiro (conger eel)
from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Bylaw 4—Prohibition on Taking Finfish Stocks
No person may, in any one day, take more than ten (10) finfish (other than whai repō (skates and rays), pātiki (flounder), rāwaru (blue cod), hoka (red cod), mārari (butterfish), moki or kōiro (conger eel)) from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Shellfish
Bylaw 5—Maximum Daily Limits on Shellfish Stocks
No person may, in any one day, take more than:
- Thirty (30) kutai (mussels);
- Thirty (30) tuaki (cockles);
- Thirty (30) pipi;
- Ten (10) tio (oysters);
- Ten (10) pāpaka (crabs);
from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Bylaw 6—Shellfish minimum legal sizes
No person may take tuaki (cockles), pipi and tio (oysters) under the size of:
- Forty (40) mm for tuaki (cockles);
- Fifty (50) mm for pipi;
- Fifty (50) mm for tio (oysters).
from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Bylaw 7—Prohibition on Taking Shellfish
No person may take shellfish (other than, kutai (mussels), tuaki (cockles), pipi, tio (oysters) and pāpaka (crabs) from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Seaweed
Bylaw 8—Prohibition on Taking Seaweed
No person may take seaweed, other than wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) from within the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Dated at Wellington this 3rd day of December 2020.
Hon DAVID PARKER, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.
Explanatory Note
Fishing Subject to These Bylaws
Under Regulation 25(3) of the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999, these bylaws apply generally to all persons fishing in the Rāpaki Bay Mātaitai Reserve.
Breach of Bylaws is an Offence
Under Regulation 43 of the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999, a person commits an offence against those regulations if that person breaches these bylaws.