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Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025

Permits, enforcement, and regulations for protected areas - Monitoring and enforcement - Appointment and powers of rangers

48: Powers to seize and release or dispose of fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material

You could also call this:

"Rangers can take and deal with fish, seaweed, or other things taken from protected areas illegally"

Illustration for Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025

If you are a ranger and you find fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material that you think was taken from a protected area against the law, you can seize it. You can take the fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material, and anything it has been mixed with. If the fish, aquatic life, or seaweed is alive and will survive, you must return it to the protected area or to the sea if you cannot return it to the protected area. If the fish, aquatic life, or seaweed is dead or will not survive, and if it is natural material, you can return it to the protected area or the sea if you think that is a good idea. You can also deal with it in the way outlined in subpart 6 of Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012. Most of Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 applies to how you use your powers in this situation, except for subpart 3.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS882844.

Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationCrime and justice > Police and safety
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47: Powers of entry, search, and seizure, or

"Rangers can stop and search you if they think you've broken a marine protection rule"

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49: Offence to undertake prohibited activity within protected area, or

"Breaking rules in protected marine areas is against the law"

Part 3Permits, enforcement, and regulations for protected areas
Monitoring and enforcement: Appointment and powers of rangers

48Powers to seize and release or dispose of fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material

  1. This section applies if a ranger exercising their powers under this Act finds or sights any fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material that the ranger believes on reasonable grounds was removed from a protected area in contravention of this Act.

  2. The ranger may seize—

  3. the fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material; and
    1. any fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material with which the fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material has been intermixed.

      1. Any fish, aquatic life, or seaweed seized by a ranger that is alive and likely to survive must be returned—

      2. to the protected area; or
        1. to any part of the sea, if it is not practicable to return the fish, aquatic life, or seaweed to the protected area.

          1. Any fish, aquatic life, or seaweed seized by a ranger that is dead or unlikely to survive, and any natural material, may be—

          2. returned to the protected area or to any part of the sea, if the ranger considers that it is appropriate to return the fish, aquatic life, seaweed, or natural material to the protected area or to the sea; or
            1. dealt with in the manner provided in subpart 6 of Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012.

              1. Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 (except subpart 3) applies to the exercise of powers under this section.