Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones will decide next week on rockpool gathering limits for Whangaparāoa Peninsula.

Officials have given Mr Jones options that include possible new restrictions on gathering from rockpools, plus public education.

He says he is gathering full information before making “significant decisions”, including whether rules should better recognise the importance of rockpool species not usually taken for food.

Fishery Officers are patrolling popular beaches around Auckland and other regions to enforce current rules.

Mr Jones says most people gathering marine life from rockpools are doing so within the rules, but some will exploit the resource.

Mr Jones says a recent checkpoint in Clevedon, South Auckland, found “significant non-compliance”.

He says Fishery Officers carried out 130 inspections and identified 23 offences, including large hauls of cockles and mussels.

He calls that “unacceptable” and says Fisheries New Zealand will hold rule-breakers to account.

Ms Marcroft says rule changes are only part of resolving the issue.

She says communities need to know how to support protection of marine ecosystems, and she is meeting community leaders and groups with Fisheries officials to help educate people about sustainability and the importance of local rockpools.

For Hibiscus Coast residents, any decision could change what people can take from Whangaparāoa Peninsula rockpools.

In the meantime, current rules are being enforced through ongoing patrols.

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