Government cracks down on rockpool vandals

Major fishing rule changes will come into force this summer to stop people from stripping rockpools of marine life on the Auckland and Coromandel coastlines, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and Under-Secretary Jenny Marcroft say. “Fossicking in a rockpool is a Kiwi tradition. It’s a pastime that’s been enjoyed by generations of New Zealanders. However, it’s being exploited by a selfish few who are taking far too much kaimoana. This behaviour is endangering these fragile ecosystems and putting at risk our beloved coastal areas. “For this reason, I am closing a substantial area of the intertidal zone in the Auckland and Coromandel regions to recreational fishing for a wide range of species including cat’s eyes, mussels, and limpets. I am also reducing the bag limits for other species,” Mr Jones says. Harvesting in the intertidal zone on beaches, rocky shores and rockpools, the area in and around where the tide comes in and goes out, will be heavily limited with exceptions in place for only certain species that can be taken sustainably. A 2m depth limit will be used to define this area, meaning areas that are accessible at low tide will be covered by the ban. “This will prot

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