Category: MIL-OSI

Your views sought

Ngāti Kuia has applied for a mātaitai reserve covering the waters of Guards Bay in the outer Marlborough Sounds. The proposed area includes all South Island fisheries waters lying between Forsyth Island (Te Paruparu) and Alligator Head with an offshore boundary north of Titi Island and including Anakoha Bay and Titirangi Bay. 

Ngāti Kuia and Fisheries New Zealand invite submissions on the proposal and will hold a local community meeting to discuss the application.

This is the first of 2 consultations to be held about the application.

What area is being proposed?

The proposed area includes approximately 56.6 square kilometres of South Island fisheries waters within the following lines: 

1. starting at a point on the mean high-water mark at Culdaff Point at 40°56.387’S and 174°04.834’E; then
2. proceeding in a straight line in an easterly direction for approximately 4km to a point offshore at 40°56.189’S and 174°07.696’E; then
3. proceeding in a straight line in a south-easterly direction for approximately 2.4km to a point offshore at 40°56.824’S and 174°09.202’E; then
4. proceeding in a straight line in a southerly direction for approximately 2.4km to a point on the mean high-water mark located approximately 250m east of Alligator Head at 40°58.096’S and 174°09.573’E; then
5. following the mean high-water mark in a generally south-westerly direction to a point on the south side of Allen Strait/Guard Pass at 40°59.780’S and 174°03.923’E; then
6. proceeding in straight line in a north-westerly direction for 284m to a point on the mean high-water mark on the north side of Allen Strait/Guard Pass at 40°59.682’S and 174°03.767’E; then
7. proceeding in a generally northerly direction along the mean high-water mark to the starting point. 

Consultation documents

Map of the proposed mātaitai reserve [PDF, 1.5 MB]

Application for proposed mātaitai reserve [PDF, 13 MB]

Making your submission

The local community are invited to make a written submission on the application. Submissions close at 5pm on Monday 20 April 2026.

Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

Fisheries management – Spatial Allocations
Fisheries New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

Public notices about this consultation

Public notices calling for submissions are scheduled to appear in Nelson Mail and Marlborough Express on Monday 2 March 2026 and Wednesday 11 March 2026.

Public meeting planned

A meeting with the local community will be held to discuss the application. A further notice will be published in both the Nelson Mail and Marlborough Express, and on this website, advertising the time, date and venue for this meeting.

A second consultation is planned

After the local community consultation period has closed, Fisheries New Zealand will hold a second consultation. This will invite written submissions from people who take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or own quota, and whose ability to take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or whose ownership interest in quota may be affected by the proposed mātaitai reserve.

The second consultation will be advertised in the same newspapers and on this website.

About mātaitai reserves

A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground where tangata whenua have a special relationship. Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.

Mātaitai reserves do not affect private landowners’ land titles or their ability to exercise resource consents for such things as taking water or extracting gravel or sand. Resource consents are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991.

Find out more about mātaitai reserves

Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 – NZ Legislation

Recreational fishing

Mātaitai reserves do not change the recreational fishing rules. However, the tangata tiaki/kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date. These are called mātaitai reserve bylaws. Any proposed bylaws will be consulted on separately with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.

Commercial fishing

Commercial fishing is generally prohibited in a mātaitai reserve, and the applicants have not sought any conditions to enable specified commercial fishing activities to continue in the area if it becomes a mātaitai reserve.

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Biosecurity New Zealand is deploying a new tool in the fight against the yellow-legged hornet in Auckland.

Mike Inglis, commissioner north, says the agency will soon be using a locally developed protein-based insecticide bait that has proven extremely successful on wasps and is expected to be effective against the hornet. 

“Targeting hornets with this product, called Vespex®, is a world-first, as unlike in other countries, New Zealand has no native wasps that are attracted to this bait, so native species won’t be harmed. 

“Research has also shown that the product does not affect honeybees.

“Vespex® has low toxicity to mammals and birds, and they would need to consume a large amount of bait to show any symptoms of poisoning. The active ingredient, fipronil, is used in pet flea and tick products in higher concentrations than what we’ll be using.”

Mr Inglis says the bait will be placed in special stations and visiting hornets then roll it into small balls and take it back to the nest where it poisons others.

Starting in mid-March, when hornets are looking for protein feed, bait stations will be set in the response ‘B’ and ‘C’ Zones, which are the surveillance areas furthest from where hornets are being detected on Auckland’s North Shore.

“We’re targeting these outer areas first to destroy any hornets that have so far evaded traps or sightings by the public. This gives us an extra layer of insurance. 

“We will ultimately use the Vespex® in the central ‘A’ Zone where the hornets are concentrated, but we are holding off for now because we’re having great success tracking hornets to nests using visual inspections and radio trackers.

“In addition, we’ve had a new breakthrough using drone-based thermal imaging. Using this technology over an area where a suspected nest was present, we were able to locate a new secondary nest, adding another tool to our toolbox.

All of the activities being undertaken to get rid of this hornet are based on science and guided by the advice of a group of technical experts, many with experience managing yellow-legged hornets overseas. 

“The yellow-legged hornet response is progressing well, and the end goal remains eradication, which is considered feasible.”

Read more about yellow-legged hornets

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

A Kaikōura dairy farmer has been fined $35,000 for failing his National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) responsibilities involving hundreds of cattle, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). 

Trevor Ronald Bolton (59) was sentenced in the Kaikōura District Court (6 March 2026) on 3 representative charges under the NAIT Act. Mr Bolton earlier pleaded guilty to the charges.  

Under the NAIT Act, the movement of all cattle or deer must be declared to the NAIT organisation, Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (OSPRI), within 48 hours. Additionally, all animals must be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the NAIT system by the time the animal is 180 days old, or before the animal is moved off farm.  

Mr Bolton runs 2 large dairy farms and is the person in charge of the animals. MPI’s investigation found significant failures including not registering 269 NAIT animals, failing to declare 571 NAIT animals that were being moved off farm, and failing to declare movements of 83 NAIT animals onto his farms. For each of these failures, he was fined $11,666.  

“The system is critical to New Zealand’s ability to trace potentially affected animals to manage disease or biosecurity incursions. This farmer’s failures under the NAIT Act related to almost 1,000 animals. As we have learned from our experience with Mycoplasma bovis it only takes one animal to cause a problem,” says MPI district manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance upper south, Paul Soper.  

“MPI takes non-compliance with NAIT seriously. Put simply, when people in charge of animals disregard or fail to live up to their NAIT obligations they put the whole agricultural sector at risk,” says Paul Soper.   

More information on NAIT and your obligations as a person in charge of animals – OSPRI

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Granarolo New Zealand Limited in its recall of Ghiotti brand Chorizo Velita (150g) due to the product being labelled with the incorrect date mark.

“The concern is that this chorizo has been mislabelled with the incorrect date mark. The affected product is labelled Best Before 21/05/2026. The correct date mark should be Use By 21/02/2026. This is important because use-by dates indicate when the product is no longer safe to eat,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle.

“This product should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible, throw them out.”

The affected batch of Ghiotti brand Chorizo Velita (150g) is sold at retailers throughout New Zealand.

Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.

If you have eaten any of these products and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.

The products were imported from Spain and labelled in New Zealand. The products have not been re-exported. They have been removed from stores.

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Granarolo New Zealand Limited to understand how the how the date mark labelling error occurred and prevent its recurrence,” says Mr Arbuckle.

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page. 

Ghiotti brand Chorizo Velita

Read more on our website about how to read food labels.

How to read food labels  

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Lion NZ (LION) Limited in recalling a specific batch of its Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer due to individual bottles in some 24-packs being incorrectly labelled as alcohol-free. 

“The concern with these beers is that although the box says the beers contain 4.2% alcohol, some of the bottles in the box have been incorrectly labelled as alcohol-free,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 

“I am very mindful that this recall will be concerning for a range of consumers who have medical, cultural, or lifestyle reasons why they select non-alcoholic beverages. 

“People avoiding alcohol should not consume this product. Customers can get a full refund by contacting Lion NZ on freephone 0800 835 554.” 

Steinlager’s Ultra Low Carb 24 Pack (24 x 330ml) with a best before date of 21/10/26 is affected by this recall. 

The affected products are sold at retailers and hospitality businesses nationwide. They have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported. 

Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected product.

Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer recalled

If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice. 

“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Lion NZ (LION) Limited to understand how this happened and prevent it recurring,” says Mr Arbuckle. 

The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur.  Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the New Zealand Food Safety food recall page.  

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s Oriental fruit fly response continues in Papatoetoe, Auckland, with no further fruit flies found today.

Four male Oriental fruit flies have so far been found in traps within our surveillance zone. 

“Our team hit the ground running over the past several days, installing signs, setting additional traps, distributing fruit disposal bins, and sharing information with the community,” says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north.

“Staff are continuing to visit businesses, schools, and households to provide information and support and today they’ll be focused on those in the newly extended Zone A and B areas.”

There are now 3 areas under Zone A restrictions, 200 metres around each fly detection, with their combined area including approximately 1,400 properties. Zone B has also been extended to account for the location of the new detections and now covers approximately 14,500 properties.

Residents in the 2 new areas subject to Zone A restrictions will receive a bin to securely dispose of their fruit and vegetable waste.

“There is one bin for each household in Zone A and bins are publicly available right across Zone B,” Mr Inglis says.

“An interactive map will be available on our website today showing the location of those Zone B bins, where you can search for your nearest bins based on your address.”

A map of the controlled area and a full description of the new boundaries and movement controls is available at:

Oriental fruit fly detection in 2026 in Papatoetoe, Auckland

A biosecurity operation has been under way in the area since last Wednesday, with legal controls in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables to help prevent any fruit flies spreading beyond the controlled area. 

“We have a specialist team working in a mobile laboratory, collecting and inspecting fallen fruit for evidence of Oriental fruit fly,” Mr Inglis says.

“Since the response began, they have sliced and examined a significant amount of this windfall fruit.” 

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.