Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011

Customary interests - Customary marine title - Wāhi tapu protection right

80: Wardens and fishery officers

You could also call this:

"People to Help Keep Marine Areas Safe"

Illustration for Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011

You can have wardens to help people follow the rules in a wāhi tapu area. They are chosen by a group with a customary marine title. The group picks them according to rules made under section 118. You have jobs to do as a warden. These include helping with rules, entering the area, and telling people about the rules. You also warn people to leave and record if someone breaks the rules on purpose. Fishery officers can also enforce the rules in a wāhi tapu area. They can do this if fishing in the area breaks the rules. They can enter the area, advise fishers, and warn them to leave. They record and report if someone breaks the rules on purpose, according to section 79. Some words have special meanings in this section. Section 2(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996 explains what a fishery officer, honorary fishery officer, and fishing mean.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3213404.

This page was last updated on 9 February 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationCrime and justice > Police and safety

79: Wāhi tapu conditions, or

"Rules to protect special Māori sites"

81: Compliance, or

"Following rules to protect special wāhi tapu areas"

Part 3Customary interests
Customary marine title: Wāhi tapu protection right

80Wardens and fishery officers

Wardens may be appointed by a customary marine title group with an interest in a wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area, in accordance with regulations made under section 118, to promote compliance with a prohibition or restriction imposed under section 79.
A warden appointed under subsection (1) is responsible to the customary marine title group for the following functions:
to assist in implementing any prohibition or restriction:
to enter a wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area for the purpose of performing the warden's functions:
to advise members of the public of any applicable prohibition or restriction:
to warn a person to leave a wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area:
to record—
1. any failure to comply with a prohibition or restriction if the warden has reason to believe that the failure is intentional; and
2. the name, contact details, and date of birth of a person who the warden has reason to believe is intentionally failing to comply with a prohibition or restriction:
to report to a constable any failure to comply with a prohibition or restriction in any case where the warden has reason to believe that the failure is intentional.

Fishery officers and honorary fishery officers may enforce wāhi tapu conditions imposed under section 79 if, and to the extent that, any fishing in a wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area breaches those conditions.
For the purpose of subsection (3), fishery officers and honorary fishery officers may enter a wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area—
to assist in implementing a prohibition or restriction:
to advise fishers of any applicable prohibition or restriction:
to warn fishers to leave the wāhi tapu or wāhi tapu area:
to record any failure of a fisher, and the details of that fisher, to comply with a prohibition or restriction, if the officer has reason to believe the failure is intentional:
to report any such failure to a constable.

In this section, fishery officer, honorary fishery officer, and fishing have the meanings given in section 2(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996.