Marine focus steps up

KERI MOLLOY

THE public awareness campaign launched by the Bay of Islands Maritime Park to highlight destruction of fisheries globally and the need to do something locally has picked up speed.

A working group will meet tonight at 6pm at Island Life cafe, on the Paihia waterfront.

Under discussion will be a proposed timeline for the group's marine reserve campaign and discussion about community consultation, which includes developing a genuine understanding of the possible effects of a marine reserve, having conversations with groups in the area and putting on events to help raise public awareness.

The Bay of Islands Maritime Park is the umbrella group for a number of working groups who are all focused on replenishing the Bay of Islands.

The focus is on establishing a network of no-take marine reserves in the bay.

Public consultation is under way to find out what the community thinks of the proposal.

There is a strong case for marine protection to boost tourism potential – illustrated at Leigh and Kaikoura – an aspect which is likely to draw support from the tourism industry.

Another local group, Experiencing Marine Reserves, is working closely with the Bay of Islands Maritime Park and aims to offer its programme to all schools in the Bay.

New Zealand has 31 mainland reserves. Establishing marine protected areas may not be easy but it's not too hard, says the director of Victoria University's centre for marine environmental and economic research Jonathan Gardner. He says he is a strong advocate of marine reserves. While there will always be someone who objects to a particular area being designated a protected area, the Fisheries Ministry and the Conservation Department are working more closely together and he is optimistic about the future, he says.

Fisheries scientists are concerned with stock management and commercial harvest, while marine biologists are concerned with protecting and restoring. But while they might disagree about the state of the marine environment, there is little dispute about the benefits of marine protected areas.

"Marine reserves are wonderful and they serve a social and conservation purpose but they won't cure fisheries.

"However, ultimately, if there are enough of them and they are linked, they may make a larger contribution," Dr Gardner says.

NIWA is presently supporting the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity.

An assessment of total biodiversity throughout the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone and the Ross Sea started 10 years ago.

NIWA principal scientist Dennis Gordon says New Zealand's marine biodiversity is very high.

"The management and conservation responsibility of our region is great but we don't yet have 10 percent of our mainland coast in marine reserve," he says.

"Because of our geographical position we can't be reliant on our neighbouring nations to look after our marine species."

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