This document discusses the importance of protecting shellfish in the Manukau Harbour in New Zealand. It notes that (1) there are many types of shellfish found in the harbour that people collect for food, but overharvesting is threatening shellfish populations. (2) People who break the rules face serious fines and punishments, such as losing their cars for taking too many cockles. (3) There are size limits for different shellfish that people need to follow to protect juvenile shellfish. The overharvesting of shellfish negatively impacts the local ecosystem and wildlife. The document encourages signing a petition to help enforce the rules and protect shellfish in the harbour.

1. Save the
Shellfish
By Jaelynne
and Georgia

2. Introduction
about shellfish
There are many different types of
shellfish like
mussels, oysters, scallops, cockles, cl
ams, paua and so many more
types.
Normally you collect shellfish when
the tide is out. There are also some
types of shellfish that you have to
free dive for like paua because you
can’t collect it when the tide is out.
Soon you won’t be able to do any
of this whether you are free diving
or not because all the shell fish will
be gone due to people taking to
much and taking the wrong sizes.

3. Fines and
Punishments
Why do people bother taking to much
shellfish or the wrong sized shellfish
because it is not worth the punishments
and fines that is brought up if you disobey
the rules. Here are some things that have
happened to some people for exceeding
the limits or for the wrong sized shellfish.
 One man got fined $1800 and lost his
car for taking to much cockles.
 A women lost her car for being
greedy with the cockles.
 Paua was seized from a big group of
city people.
 so as you can see there are very
many fines and punishments that are
not worth you doing the wrong things
because you will just get fined or
punished even more.

4. Original quotes
came up by us
 “ Humans have a chance
at life so let shellfish have
a chance at life”
 “Humans can go on for
many generations but
soon shellfish will be
extinct.”
 “ People live their lives to
its fullest but shellfish live
their lives to its coldest.”

5. Minimum size for
shellfish in the
Manukau Harbour
There are many limits for
each shellfish (example
Oysters – 58mm, ordinary
paua – 125 mm, scallops
– 100 mm and much
more. So people that go
fishing need to know
most of these sizes or
they could get pulled up
for it.

6. How does taking to
much shellfish
effect the Manukau
harbour
It affects the Manukau Harbour
because most birds that live at
sea go along the bank when the
tide is out to eat some
shellfish, also makes the Harbour
unhealthy because it doesn’t
give the harbour the nutrients it
needs. Animals that live in the
sea/ocean like dolphins like to
eat fish and shellfish and soon the
may end up dead by swallowing
or choking on a plastic bag as
they don’t know the difference
between a fish /shellfish and a
plastic bag.

7. Is there a special
patrol that can
confiscate shellfish.
Yes there is and they patrol
around the waters everyday
looking out for people who do
the wrong thing and there are
many different names people
call them like a water
police, water patrol, coast
guard and so many more.

8. Manukau harbour
history
The Manukau harbour is the
second largest natural
harbour in New Zealand by
area it is located to the
south west of the Auckland
isthmus (strip of land with
sea on either side forming a
link between two large
areas of land. The harbour
was an important historical
waterway for the Maori so
basically it is very important
to the Maori.

9. Petition and
argument
So if you want to carry on
collecting shellfish for your dinner
and you still want to have the joy
of walking along the beach at
low tide or when it is out and
collecting shellfish off the rock
and in the mud. Especially all you
fish and chip lovers want to still
eat your delicious fish and chips I
suggest you start doing the right
thing, obey the rules and sign our
petition at the office and for
further details read the petition
on why we are doing this and
how this will make a difference to
our harbour.

10. The End
By Jaelynne and Georgia