Ok, so in the fine print in your local mataitai reserves does it contain the same " we can exclude everyone, but then allow tribe members to fish with a permit the same as now". Seems to me they are just wanting to exclude everyone but the tribes members. For them to close an area, what are they basing it on. There is no stock assessment done on this area now. Surely it would have to be done on a scientific survey not just a "I think the stock is low. Close the area.Guess I'm very suspicious as I don't like the way it is all going especially when they want control of all the fresh water sources as well

Another thing to remember is that they may wish to do these things but all conditions of the Mataitai have to be signed off by the Ministers in charge of Fisheries and I think Conservation. From what I can gather if it is not in the general public interest they will not sign off on it.This Mataitai application for the Whakatane area has been going on for several years now. I have had updates about its progress through being a delegate for the NZSFC. From what I can gather the proposed area covered by the Mataitai is much smaller than the original proposal as there are some small commercial operators (cray fisherman and/or long liners) who operate out of the Thorton River mouth who would have been put out of business and they have a history of fishing these waters going way back (Note these are small sustainable fishing operations not mass fish removal operations) and it was thought that there was no way the Minister would have approved this.

I'd just like to add that Mataitai are not predominantly designed to be a stock replenishing tool.

It is a result of honouring/ acknowledging (choose which you prefer) the Treaty of Waitangi and is carried out by different legislation (including Fisheries Act). Matatai is an area of water; rohe moana, that is of special importance (in the way of customary fishing) to iwi/hapu and allows the iwi to manage that area.