Their comments follow concerns raised by two recreational fishermen about access to clams, as Otakou runanga seek a customary fishing reserve in the harbour.
The runanga applied in 2008 to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) for a mataitai reserve to manage all non-commercial fishing in the harbour.
They are still awaiting its decision.
Dunedin recreational fishermen Ted Young and Warren Lewis said they feared a mataitai could reduce the access to recreational clam-fishing grounds and erode their rights to a ''fair daily bag''.
Mr Young said the bag limit of 150 clams per person per day - about a handful of clam meat - should not be reduced.
Adding to the fishermen's concerns, Southern Clams is harvesting hundreds of tonnes of shellfish for research.
Mr Young criticised the proposed mataitai for allowing Southern Clams to continue harvesting from the harbour.
''They are harvesting the best beds out of existence,'' Mr Lewis said.
Te Runanga o Otakou mataitai committee chairman Tangi Russell said Southern Clams' research permit to harvest harbour clams ''did not sit well''.
The runanga would oppose the permit when it came up for renewal next year.
''We have always opposed the renewal of that permit ... how many cockles do you need for research?''Mr Russell said that the runanga had no commercial interest in Southern Clams.
Mr Russell believed the clam in the harbour's clam stocks were ''pretty good'' but believed Southern Clams' harvesting was unsustainable.
The runanga had no plans to reduce bag limits or limit access for recreational fishing, he said.
Southern Clams operations manager David Redshaw said if the mataitai was approved it would not affect Southern Clams' harvesting from two areas near Quarantine Island.
The company had been harvesting in Blueskin Bay since 1992.
The research permit allowed Southern Clams to harvest 3300 tonnes from the harbour over five years, to investigate the ecosystem effects of commercial harvesting.
While harvesting began in September 2009, Mr Redshaw estimated Southern Clams would need another year to reach the 3300-tonne target.
Southern Clams sold about 900 tonnes a year, with half harvested from the harbour and the other half from Blueskin Bay, he said.
The research would reveal if the clam stocks in the harbour were ''under pressure''.
MPI fisheries management director Dave Turner said it was not possible to say when the ministry would give its decision on the mataitai.
''Once the Minister [Nathan Guy] fully considers the ministry's advice and any relevant matters, he will make his decision and the ministry will notify all relevant parties.''
A decision on whether or not to renew the research permit next year was pending.
Results to date suggested commercial harvesting was likely to be viable, but that was subject to final results being reviewed, he said.
Mataitai reserve
Mataitai reserves are areas where tangata whenua manage all non-commercial fishing by making bylaws. Bylaws must apply equally to all individuals. Reserves can only be applied for over traditional fishing grounds and must be areas of special significance to the tangata whenua. Generally, there is no commercial fishing within the reserves.
Timeline
November 2008: Te Runanga o Otakou lodge a mataitai reserve application with Ministry of Primary Industries for the Otago Harbour, excluding six areas used for commercial purposes.
2008 and 2009: The ministry consulted on the application with the local community and fishing interests.
2014: The ministry reconsulted due to the scale of an amendment and the time that had elapsed since the previous consultation.
The ministry received 67 submissions - 33 supported the application and 34 either expressed qualified support or were opposed.
March 2014: The runanga amended the application to exclude two additional areas, in the middle of the harbour, which are used under a special permit to investigate the ecosystem effects of commercial clam harvesting.
Now: The ministry is preparing an advice paper on the amended application.
Source: MPI Fisheries management director Dave Turner
