New Rockpool Rules from 1 November 2026: Auckland, Coromandel & Waiheke Intertidal Closure

From 1 November 2026, it will be illegal to collect most marine life from the shoreline of the Auckland and Coromandel mainland and Waiheke Island, from the high tide mark out to where the water is 2 metres deep. Fisheries New Zealand calls this area the ‘intertidal zone’. It covers the beaches, rocky shores and rockpools that most of us explore at low tide.

The zone will close to recreational fishing for a broad range of species, including cat’s eyes, starfish, limpets, periwinkles, chitons and mussels. You can still take limited amounts of some species from the intertidal zone, including pāua and squid, within their catch limits. Here’s what’s changing, where it applies, and what you can still take.

Where the closure applies

The closure covers the intertidal zone along the whole Auckland Coromandel area. On the east coast that runs from Cape Rodney, around the Hauraki Gulf and Waiheke Island, and down the Coromandel Peninsula to Houmanga Point near Waihi Beach. On the west coast it runs from Muriwai Beach to Port Waikato, including the Manukau Harbour shoreline.

What is the ‘intertidal zone’?

It’s the area from the mean high-water mark out to a point offshore where the water is 2 metres deep. That depth is measured from the water level at the time, so the closed area moves with the tide. At low tide the 2 m line is further out; at high tide it’s closer in. In practice, if you can wade to it, assume it’s inside the closure.

What you can and can’t take

Inside the intertidal zone you can’t take any marine invertebrates except cockles, crabs, kina, octopus, oysters, pāua, pipi, rock lobsters (spiny and packhorse), scallops, sea cucumbers, prawns/shrimps, squid and tuatua. Catch limits still apply to all of these.

There are also new daily limits across the wider Auckland Coromandel area, including outside the intertidal zone. Any shellfish species that doesn’t have its own limit (such as cat’s eyes, periwinkles, limpets and whelks) now has a limit of 10 per person per day.

Daily limits per person. “New” marks limits and restrictions that start on 1 November 2026. Source: Fisheries New Zealand, New shellfish rules for Auckland and Coromandel (October 2026). This is a guide only.

Closures that still apply

The new rules sit on top of the existing closures, which all stay in place, including:

• the east coast scallop closure
• the inner Hauraki Gulf spiny rock lobster closure
• temporary closures in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, such as Waiheke Island (no mussels, pāua or packhorse rock lobster within one nautical mile of the shore) and Ōmaha Bay, Kawau Bay and the Whangaparāoa Peninsula

So even though pāua is open in the intertidal zone generally, you can’t take pāua around Waiheke. Marine reserves remain completely no-take. Maps for each closure are on the MPI Auckland and Kermadec fishing rules page.

What it means for your next trip

• Bait: you can no longer gather mussels or other shellfish off the rocks for bait in the zone. Bring bought bait, berley or lures instead.
• Rod and line: the closure covers shellfish and other marine invertebrates. It doesn’t change the finfish rules, so you can still fish for snapper and kahawai off the rocks within the normal limits.
• Kids and rockpools: looking is fine. Just put everything back where you found it.
• Measure and count: keep your catch in one bag and measure pāua and crayfish before you take them.

Gear for what’s still open

Pāua Knife & Measure Tool $13.99 Lever pāua off the rock and check the size on the spot. NZ made.	Dive Catch Bag $52.99 Keep your catch together so it's easy to count against the daily limit.	Round Collapsible Crab Pot $15.00 Crabs are still open: 10 per person per day.	Lumo Squid Jig $9.99 Squid can still be taken from the shore: 10 per person per day.
300mm Super Lumo Squid Jig $55.00 A bigger glow jig for squid off the rocks and wharves.	Double Edge Oyster Knife 10cm $34.99 Oysters are still open: 100 rock/Pacific or 50 dredge a day.	Snapper Recurve Rig 8/0 $5.00 Rod and line fishing for snapper isn't affected.	Berley Pot (up to 3.5 kg) $59.99 Bring the fish to you with bought berley instead of shellfish from the rocks.

Check the rules every time

Local site-specific restrictions may also apply, so check the rules every time you go fishing. Download the free NZ Fishing Rules app (it works with no phone coverage) or visit fisheries.govt.nz/rules. You can also call Fisheries New Zealand on 0800 00 83 33. To report suspected illegal fishing, call 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224).

Questions about gear? Visit us in store or email sales@actionoutdoors.kiwi. Shop our squid jigs or browse everything at actionoutdoors.kiwi.

Sources: Fisheries New Zealand factsheet “New shellfish rules for Auckland and Coromandel” (October 2026); MPI Auckland and Kermadec area fishing rules. Rules can change, so always check the latest rules before you go.