Motiti Island's Ngai Te Hapu is upset at the lifting of restrictions around Otaiti-Astrolabe Reef.
Maritime New Zealand has removed two notices from the wreckage of the Rena, which ran aground four and a half years ago.
Director Keith Manch says more than 22,000 tonnes of debris has been removed from the seabed since then, and the remaining wreck and debris on the sea floor no longer constitute a hazard to navigation.
That means the Tauranga harbourmaster has lifted a 2 kilometer exclusion zone around the area.
Ngai Te Hapu spokesman Buddy Mikaere says the notices need to remain in place until the question of the creation of a marine reserve has been decided and the application for registration of Otaiti as a waahi tapu has been completed.
The hapu is also appealing against the resource consent granted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council allowing what's left of the wreck to stay.
He says fishing and diving operations around the reef would have a big impact on its recovering resources.
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