Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Maori in Wairarapa place rahui on 5km stretch of water

Updated at 7:10 pm on 23 January 2013

Maori in Wairarapa have placed a rahui on a five kilometre long stretch of the sea, following the disappearance of a local recreational crayfisher.

It's a fortnight since a 72-year-old man set out in a small inflatable boat from Sandy Bay south east of Martinborough, to set a crayfish pot.

An extensive sea and aerial search found the inflatable almost 70km off shore, but the police dive squad failed to recover a body.

Ngati Kahungunu Ki Wairarapa general manager Paul (or Peejay) Devonshire says in respect for the missing man's family, the iwi and a local hapu Ngati Hinewaka have imposed a ban on fishing, the collection of kaimoana and on swimming.

He says it extends one kilometre offshore from Manuwera Point in the south, to 500 metres off Te Awaiti point in the north.

Mr Devonshire says the rahui will remain in place until 16 February.

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