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Nearly two months after the Section 186A ban came into force along Whangaparāoa Peninsula, community group Protect Whangaparāoa Rockpools says gathering activity has dropped significantly at Army Bay and Ōkōrōmai Bay, but concerns remain about behaviour after dark.
Protect Whangaparāoa Rockpools (PWR) spokesperson Mark Lenton says daytime activity at the beaches is “way down”, with most people leaving once they are advised of the ban or see the signs in place.
However, he says there is an increase in organised activity at night.
Lenton says group members frequently see lights in the bays after dark and, on one occasion, found what appeared to be a coordinated group, with people in cars watching and communicating via walkie-talkies.
He says the night activity is concerning and unsafe for volunteers to monitor.
In a separate incident, Lenton says a driver drove towards PWR members after a group of gatherers was confronted during the weekend, missing one person by inches. The incident has been reported to Police.
While the ban appears to be reducing pressure locally, Lenton says it may be shifting the problem elsewhere and there are concerns that West Coast beaches are now under increased pressure.
Protect Piha Rockpools member Luella Bartlett says gathering has intensified since the ban began, including an increase in tour vans.
“The shellfish are different over here but the mussel beds are being stripped, starfish, whelks, seaweed, everything is being taken. I checked the octopus dens recently, and they were all empty.”
Bartlett says smaller West Coast communities face challenges monitoring activity due to lower population and visibility across beaches.
“We were hoping to have a S186A ban in place but it seems to have gone quiet as we haven’t heard anything for weeks,” she says.
She believes a nationwide solution is needed.
“We are relying on people who don’t live here to fix the problem but if you reduced the catch limits, that would fix the problem overnight, as well as funding Fisheries properly so they can provide suitable coverage at all hours.”
