Earlier in 2025, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones announced that he will not progress proposals to restrict destructive fishing methods including bottom trawling within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. 

A lack of action from the central government led the Waikato Regional Council to look for solutions within their control under the Resource Management Act and restrict destructive mobile bottom- contact fishing methods across the Coromandel Peninsula and Firth of Thames.