Proposals for marine reserves in the Bay of Islands are coming in for stiff opposition from local Maori, Radio New Zealand reports.
Community group Fish Forever is proposing two no-fishing zones - one off Urupukapuka Island and one off Rawhiti Peninsula.
The two Rawhiti hapu, Ngati Kuta and Patukeha, said they had had several talks with the group but asked it to taihoa (delay) because they were swamped with work on their Treaty claims.
A Patukeha hapu spokesperson, Richard Witehira, said it was upsetting that Fish Forever ignored that plea and forged ahead without agreement on location and management.
He said gone were the days of a government department controlling an area from Wellington.
But he said they would never support a no-take zone off Urupukapuka because they needed the abundant kaimoana from that area to feed their families.
Fish Forever is calling for public submissions on the idea, on its website.