NZ minister turns down marine reserve creation

Hector's dolphins, one of the world's rarest. Photo credit E. Martinez/A.R.E.V.A. Project

August 2010. The application to create a marine reserve near the Akaroa Harbour entrance was first made by the Akaroa Harbour Marine Protection Society in January 1996.

The reserve would have covered 530 hectares - or only about 12 percent of the harbour - and would have included spectacular volcanic cliffs, sea caves and sea stacks. Underwater the cliffs and bluffs fall vertically to the seabed and at the base of some bluffs, huge room-sized boulders form caves and overhangs.

Hector's dolphins
The area supports a rich array of southern New Zealand fish species, a number of which are important food sources for Hector's dolphins, one of the rarest dolphins in the world. The fish include wrasse, rock and blue cod, butterfish, blue moki, leatherjacket, triplefin and carpet shark.

Refused
Independent conservation organisation Forest & Bird is deeply disappointed that Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson has turned down an application to create a new marine reserve in Akaroa Harbour on Banks Peninsula.

Ms Wilkinson said she declined the application because a reserve would unduly affect recreational use of the area, particularly fishing.

Forest & Bird Marine Conservation Advocate Kirstie Knowles said the minister's reasoning for declining the application meant the government is putting recreational fishers ahead of other users such as divers, while also ignoring the need to protect marine diversity.

"In light of this decision, Forest & Bird is very concerned about the future of any other marine reserve applications and the future of our marine life in general," Knowles said.

"This application has been declined despite a huge effort over 14 years since the application was first made to work with tangata whenua and all the other stakeholders. This sets a very bad precedent for the protection of marine life in New Zealand."

Forest & Bird supports the creation of reserves because they give marine life a haven free from threats such as overfishing, damaging fishing methods and coastline development.

Nothing is allowed to be taken from marine reserves, although diving, swimming, boating, and any other activities that don't harm marine life are permitted.

"Just 0.3 percent of New Zealand's marine area is protected in reserves, indicating how little regard is given to our unique marine life, which is renowned around the world for its diversity," Knowles said.

The application to create a marine reserve near the Akaroa Harbour entrance was first made by the Akaroa Harbour Marine Protection Society in January 1996. The government later asked for consideration of the application to be delayed while a taiapure was established to allow local tangata whenua to take an important role in management of the harbour's marine resources.

The reserve would have covered 530 hectares - or only about 12 percent of the harbour - and would have included spectacular volcanic cliffs, sea caves and sea stacks. Underwater the cliffs and bluffs fall vertically to the seabed and at the base of some bluffs, huge room-sized boulders form caves and overhangs.

The area supports a rich array of southern New Zealand fish species, a number of which are important food sources for Hector's dolphins, one of the rarest dolphins in the world. The fish include wrasse, rock and blue cod, butterfish, blue moki, leatherjacket, triplefin and carpet shark.