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Natural Environment Bill

Combined plan and other matters - National environment plans - Fishing and aquaculture

114: Rules that control fishing do not apply to Māori customary non-commercial fishing rights in specified legislation

You could also call this:

"Māori can keep their traditional fishing rights, and fishing rules don't apply to them."

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

The new law says rules about fishing do not apply to Māori non-commercial fishing rights. You can find these rights in regulations made under the Fisheries Act 1996 and the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992. These regulations help Māori exercise their customary fishing rights. The law also mentions the Te Arawa Lakes (Fisheries) Regulations 2006 and other regulations made for Treaty settlements. These regulations are about Māori non-commercial fishing rights too. They help Māori continue their traditional fishing practices. The new law is trying to balance fishing rules with Māori customary rights. It wants to make sure Māori can still fish in their traditional ways. This is part of the proposed Natural Environment Bill.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1521083.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > Farming and fishingMāori affairs > Māori landMāori affairs > Treaty of Waitangi

113: Requirements for rules that control fishing, or

"Rules for Controlling Fishing in New Zealand's Coastal Waters"

115: Aquaculture areas, or

"Rules for areas where fish and seafood are farmed"

Part 3Combined plan and other matters
National environment plans: Fishing and aquaculture

114Rules that control fishing do not apply to Māori customary non-commercial fishing rights in specified legislation

A rule in a plan that controls fishing does not apply to customary non-commercial fishing provided for in—
regulations made under any of sections 186, 297, and 298 of the Fisheries Act 1996 for the purpose of giving effect to section 10 of the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992; or
regulations made under an Act that requires regulations to be made or to be treated as made under the Fisheries Act 1996 for the purpose of giving effect to section 10 of the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992; or
the Te Arawa Lakes (Fisheries) Regulations 2006; or
regulations made under an Act for the purpose of giving effect to a Treaty settlement between the Crown and tangata whenua in respect of their customary non-commercial fishing rights.