Last year, the Ministry for Primary Industries received an application from the Topi and Whaitiri families along with Awarua Runanga to make a mataitai around Ruapuke Island which included the commercial South Island fishing waters around the island, Green Island, Breaksea Island, the Hazelburg Group, Bird Island, White Island and Lee Island.
Consultation started last year, but Fisheries New Zealand management director Emma Taylor said it was postponed.
"The previous local community consultation wasn’t completed as the application was put on hold.
"Those who submitted on the last application have been contacted so they have the opportunity to amend or withdraw their submission based on the new application."
Applicant Ricki Topi, of Bluff, said they decided to take this step as the area had been overfished over the past decades because of its popularity, and he was pleased the application was finally back on the table.
"It has been a long time.
"The other application was put on hold because there were things we really have to focus on, and you’ve got to get everybody on the same path — otherwise it’s not going to work."
The new application was "pretty much" the same as the one put forward last year with just a few small changes.
If the new bylaw is established, fishing rules for recreational fishers would not change, but the applicants want to propose a further bylaw and add changes to the recreational rules, too. These would be consulted on separately, but only once the first application was appraised by the ministry.
Mr Topi confirmed the proposed moves aimed to reduce the quotas of both commercial and recreational fishing by half.
A public meeting about the proposal will be held on July 25 at Te Rau Aroha Marae.
Following this, there will also be a second consultation for those who fish or take seaweed, or own quota in the proposed mātaitai reserve.
