The Government has asked for urgent advice after reports of rockpools at Army Bay being stripped of marine life.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Jenny Marcroft say officials have been asked to respond quickly, given what’s being reported at Army Bay and other spots.

In October 2025, a settlement trust asked for a two-year temporary fisheries closure covering the Rodney, Hibiscus Coast and East Coast Bays coastline, plus some Gulf islands.

Mr Jones says officials have collated submissions from public consultation and also received feedback from the trust.

“I acknowledge people are concerned at what they say is the indiscriminate collection of marine life at intertidal rockpools,” Mr Jones says.

He says the shellfish and other marine creatures reportedly being taken in large numbers are crucial for the health of these ecosystems.

Mr Jones says he is also considering steps to dissuade people from collecting marine life that is not traditionally eaten and is at risk of disappearing from some areas completely.

He says options could include prohibitions on collecting certain species not usually taken for food, and social media campaigns to educate collectors from all cultures about the risks of taking large amounts of sea creatures from tiny ecosystems.

Oceans and Fisheries - Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Jenny Marcroft.

Ms Marcroft says she travelled to the peninsula in the past week with Fisheries staff, meeting concerned residents and representatives from the settlement trust.

“It is important to acknowledge that no one in this situation is breaking the law but it is clear that this level of collection of marine life from these intertidal pools is not sustainable,” Ms Marcroft says.

Know something local worth sharing?

Send it to [email protected]