Fisheries New Zealand is considering a ban on scallop harvesting in Northland and the Coromandel.
It says scallop numbers in Coromandel are just a fifth of what they were in 2012.
Consultation on the proposals close at 5pm on February 8, 2022.
Not-for-profit LegaSea programme leader Sam Woolford told Māni Dunlop overharvesting and destructive fishing techniques were damaging the sea floor and the creatures that live in, on, and above it.