From South-east Marine Protection Forum consultation document:

521. This is an example of a small, unmodified estuary, surrounded by native forest and protected wetland. The catchment of the estuary has the least human impact of any estuary on the east coast.

522. Estuarine values include tidal mud flats and adjacent jointed rush fields and areas of salt marsh.

523. The estuary provides a protected nursery area for flatfish in part of their early life cycle. The estuary is used by locally migrating birds such as spoonbills, pied oyster catchers and stilts and in this way has connectivity to other estuarine areas.

515. The proposed marine protected area with fishery restrictions covers the Tautuku Estuary and incorporates 0.5 km2 of estuarine habitat.

516. The restrictions that are proposed for this estuary are designed to protect the estuary from high levels of extraction that would compromise the ecological systems, as well as bottom disturbance. They include:

• no dredging • no set net fishing • no commercial line fishing • no mechanical harvesting (including spades for collecting shellfish)

• no fyke net fishing • no whitebaiting

517. Hand-gathering, spear fishing and recreational line fishing, noncommercial gathering of paruparu and beach cast kelp will be permitted. The recovery of koiwi and other cultural artifacts by Kāi Tahu are not impacted by this proposal. 

518. This package of fishing restrictions is proposed to allow for the maintenance and recovery of the biodiversity of the area, by prohibiting bottom impacting methods and reducing fishing effects on the ecosystem, natural species composition and trophic linkages.

519. There are wāhi tapu located on the coast and the recovery of koiwi and other cultural artifacts by Kāi Tahu shall not be impacted by this proposal.