People with buckets by the rock pools at Army Bay. Photo: MARK LENTON / SUPPLIED
Whangaparāoa residents and iwi are calling for a ban on taking seafood from Auckland's Army Bay as they say what was once an "abundance of sea life" was now gone.
Local iwi Ngāti Manuhiri was considering asking the minister for a rāhui or halt to collecting seafood from the area to give it time to regenerate.
Long time Army Bay resident and founder of the Protect Whangaparāoa rock pools group Mark Lenton, said in the past two years there had been mass stripping of the rock pools at Army Bay with large groups turning up, sometimes in mini buses, with all sorts of tools and buckets to harvest all the kai moana they could find.
He told Checkpoint urgent action needed was needed to protect the bay and other beaches too.
"I walk the rock pools daily and there has been an abundance of sea life in the rock pools [in the past]. Over last Summer, I started seeing more people on the rocks with buckets and tools taking everything out of these pools."
He said he had seen people using tongs and chisels to remove limpets and even piano wire to remove sea weed and sea anemone from the rocks.
"There's a large element of poaching both day and night... it's more concentrated poaching at night.
"They arrive in cars, mini buses sometimes, with all forms of tool and equipment."
Last Sunday evening, he said he saw a group of 15 people on the rocks about 8pm, who were intercepted by some locals before the sealife could be removed.
"They're taking cushion stars, limpets, crabs, sea anemone, everything goes into the bucket.
Starfish at Army Bay. Photo: MARK LENTON / SUPPLIED
"The pools used to be an abundance of life... like any Kiwi I have a love of the ocean and that started with rock pools."
Lenton said it needed to stop and he believed a rāhui could be the answer.
"A rāhui would be great, secondly, we need a legal ban for at least two years restricting all gathering at rock pools for that time."
He acknowledged two years may not be long enough for the sealife to recover but said it was a step in the right direction.
It was a really good chance for New Zealand and Fisheries NZ to take a stand, Lenton said, and show the country would not tolerate that kind of behaviour.
"There should be no rules in 2025 that allow people to strip rock pools bare on any part of our coastline."
A group of people at the Army Bay rock pools. Photo: MARK LENTON / SUPPLIED
Chief Executive of Ngāti Manuhiri, Nicola Rata-MacDonald MNZM, said the iwi had been considering further options to protect shellfish and other taonga species since 2018.
"Covid-19 temporarily paused this kōrero, but the need has become urgent as pressure on our rocky reefs and intertidal areas has escalated.
"While the rāhui itself is not a legal closure, it works in tandem with legislation. Together they bring the strength of both cultural practice and government regulation.
"This is why it is important that we all work together - iwi, agencies, and the wider community - to uphold the rāhui and the closure, so that our moana and taonga species have a chance to recover."
Rata-MacDonald said the iwi was seeking closure of the entire eastern coastline of the Rodney Local Board Area and Hibiscus and Bays Local Board Area.
"Once our application is lodged, it is for the Minister to consider and approve. We are seeking the maximum closure period of two years, though the final decision rests with the Minister."
Enforcement would be the responsibility of Fisheries NZ, she said.
"One way members of the public can potentially contribute is by applying to become honorary fisheries officers, which helps strengthen protection efforts. At the same time, our kaitiaki and volunteers will be focusing on education and awareness - working with the community to build understanding and support for the closure."
Fisheries NZ regional manager for the north, Andre Espinoza, said he was grateful for information from the public relating to any suspected illegal fishing.
But he noted the compliance rate in Auckland for recreational fishers when inspected was at 94 percent.
People could report any suspicious or illegal fishing activity by calling 0800 4 POACHER (0800 47 62 24).
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