A Mataitai reserve - an identified traditional fishing ground - has been proposed for the coastline around Omaui in Southland.
Fisheries New Zealand director fisheries management Stuart Anderson said a mataitai reserve was established for the purpose of customary food gathering.
''They recognise the special relationship between tangata whenua and their traditional fishing grounds''.
The reserve would extend offshore 0.5 nautical miles (0.9km), cover 23sqkm and would include Mokomoko Inlet and around the Omaui coastline to Cable Bay, Ocean Beach, where it would meet the boundary of the Motupohue (Bluff Hill) mataitai reserve.
While commercial fishing is prohibited in a mataitai reserve, bylaws may be passed which alter recreational fishing rules - but for now those remain unchanged.
''Recreational fishers don't need to get a permit to go fishing.
''Mataitai don't change the public's ability to access the beach or marine environment, and also don't change any existing restrictions on access to private land,'' Mr Anderson said.
The application submitted by Te Runanga o Awarua, said it would work with the local community - ''for decades now, Ngai Tahu have been excluded from actively managing this important food-gathering area and have witnessed the depletion of stocks, to the detriment of our mana and rangatiratanga. This application is intended to provide an umbrella mechanism to begin to rectify this situation''.
Customary fishing rights were guaranteed to tangata whenua under the Treaty of Waitangi, Mr Anderson said.
''These rights are protected by law. As part of the settlement of Maori claims to fisheries resources, regulations were promulgated that allow, on application, for the Minister of Fisheries to declare areas to be mataitai reserves and appoint tangata tiaki/kaitiaki.''
It would join 45 other mataitai reserves in the country, 34 of which are in the South Island.
A public meeting with local community will be held at Te Rau Aroha Marae, 12 Bradshaw St, Bluff at 6.30pm on October 22, and a second consultation will be held in the future.
Te Runanga o Awarua was contacted for comment, but did not reply by deadline.
